Calls for Prince Andrew to be formally stripped of his dukedom by parliament have focused attention on a process born of royal circumstances in the First World War.

Andrew has vowed not to use his title or honours, but he retains them. The only way for him to be relieved of them is through an act of parliament. Ministers appear hesitant to pass legislation to do so and have said they will defer to Buckingham Palace’s wishes.

Ed Miliband, the energy secretary said on Sunday that the royal family had indicated “that they didn’t want to take up parliamentary time with this”.

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However, parliamentary experts said the legislation could be relatively short, both in terms of the size of the bill and the time required to pass it. It could be drafted with a single clause stipulating that Prince Andrew would cease to be Duke of York and Knight of the Garter.

In December 2022, a two-clause bill was passed to make the Princess Royal and Prince Edward counsellors of state, allowing the monarch to delegate royal functions to them.

It cleared the House of Lords in eight days, the Commons in a week, and was granted royal assent after a further five days. These were not seen as controversial appointments and debate in each house took less than an hour at second reading.

Prince Andrew retains the titles of Duke of York and Royal Knight of the Garter, although he has vowed not to use them

CHRIS JACKSON/WPA POOL/GETTY IMAGES

There were no speeches disputing the substance of the bill, though some remarked upon the sometimes curious constitutional interplay between parliament and sovereign. The precedent suggests that, if desired, a bill could strip Andrew of his title and honours relatively quickly.

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Debate surrounding Andrew, however, would be risky, with potential for comment on his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the late paedophile. The Commons and Lords are protected by parliamentary privilege, under which members may pass comment or make claims without risk of being sued for defamation.

Legislation to formally strip Andrew of his titles could also invite the question of whether Lord Mandelson, the former ambassador to the US and another friend of Epstein, should be stripped of his peerage — which would also require an act of parliament. Mandelson is on a leave of absence.

The precedent for removing a royal’s titles dates from 1917, when legislation was passed to allow the King to appoint a committee of the privy council to identify “enemies” who took up arms against Britain in the First World War.

This had come about because of Queen Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert of the German Saxe-Coburg dynasty. Several of their descendants held British royal titles while serving in the Germany military.

In 1919 a report was submitted to parliament by the King’s committee of the privy council. It named four people: HRH Leopold Charles, Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence and Baron Arklow; HRH Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, Earl of Armagh; HRH Ernest August (Duke of Brunswick), Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; and Henry, Viscount, Taaffe of Corren and Baron of Ballymote. As a result, their peerages and titles were removed.