Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest is the last straw for one Ontario mayor who is now seeking a street renaming in his municipality.
St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe told Global News Thursday that he will ask council on Monday to consider renaming Prince Andrew Court, a residential street near Prince Charles Court and Lake Street.
“St. Catharines councillors and I have been having discussions for some time about whether the court should be renamed,” Siscoe said in a statement.
“Given today’s news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, I would say there is no reason to continue discussing.”
Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
While Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about his links to the late financier have dogged the Royal Family for more than a decade.
Siscoe said St. Catharines council has a responsibility to ensure that municipal place names reflect community values and maintain public confidence in civic institutions.
He’s asking for the process to review and consider renaming the court to include public consultation with affected residents and stakeholders, and have staff report back with recommendations, including options for alternative names and associated financial and administrative implications.
Several Canadian municipalities have landmarks that are named after Andrew, and St. Catharines is just the latest to seek a renaming.
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In August 2022, Prince Andrew High School in Dartmouth, N.S., was renamed Woodlawn High School.
Mississauga, Ont., council passed a motion in November 2025 to disassociate the name Duke of York Boulevard from the former prince. The motion included removing all plaques, honours and non-critical signage tied to the former royal on city property.
Township of Selwyn Mayor Sherry Senis told Global News Thursday that the township approved a motion in November to study the renaming of Prince Andrew Island and Gordonstoun Island.
“This review will include following the required provincial process through the Province of Ontario Geographic Names Board (a process that can take up to 12 months to complete once an application is submitted). This work will be carried out transparently and in partnership with community members, including local First Nations,” Senis said, adding that she expects to hear from the local First Nation next week.
Kevin Murdoch, mayor of Oak Bay, B.C., said the district has had some interest from residents over the years in wanting Prince Andrew Place – a small residential cul-de-sac – renamed.
However, no formal request or direction to initiate a name change had been made.
“The recent removal of the title ‘Prince Andrew’ from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and the arrest of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor may change the discussion or timeline, but I have nothing new to add,” Murdoch told Global News in an email.
“Council has not had an opportunity to raise the issue since the arrest announcement in particular.”
Toronto and Caledon, Ont., also have streets named after the former prince. A Town of Caledon official told Global News in an email any reconsideration of a municipal street name would require a formal review process and public feedback.
The office of Toronto mayor Olivia Chow did not return comment request by publication.
The late Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain away his ties to Epstein during a catastrophic interview with the BBC.
But more details about the relationship emerged in a book published last year, and Charles stripped him of the right to be called a prince and ordered him to move.
Then came the unprecedented announcement last week that Buckingham Palace was ready to co-operate in the event of a police inquiry into Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein.
Charles was forced to act after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein documents that revealed the extent of his relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor and showed that their correspondence continued long after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges brought by federal prosecutors in New York in 2019. He took his own life in jail while awaiting trial.
— with files from The Associated Press
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