New Zealand’s Geographic Board is weighing whether to strip the name from a 74-kilometre Antarctic landmark honouring the former royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The Prince Andrew Plateau, situated within New Zealand’s territorial claim on the frozen continent, faces potential renaming following King Charles’s decision to remove his brother’s royal titles and Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s subsequent arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Officials are examining several possibilities for the geographical feature, which has borne the name since 1962, when it was designated in honour of the then two-year-old prince.
The landmark was named after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor when he was aged two
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A final determination is expected later this year.
The plateau lies within the Queen Elizabeth Range, part of the Ross Dependency that constitutes New Zealand’s Antarctic territorial claim.
Several other geographical features in the same mountain range carry names commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s children, with glaciers dedicated to Princess Anne and the Prince of Wales among them.
The landmark received its royal designation six decades ago, just two years after Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s birth, placing it alongside these other tributes to the late monarch’s offspring.
The Prince Andrew Plateau is located in Antarctica (stock picture)
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This clustering of royal-themed names within the range has complicated discussions about potential replacements, according to government documents obtained through official information requests.
Documents released under the Official Information Act reveal that a Land Information New Zealand official contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in December last year, noting the Antarctic Naming Committee was reviewing the plateau’s designation following a public suggestion.
The ministry subsequently sought guidance from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on whether the King’s consent would be required before any alteration.
While portions of the response remain redacted, officials advised that Buckingham Palace approval is necessary when applying royal names to geographical features.
Andrew was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office and subsequently released on investigation | REUTERS
Replacing the current designation with another royal name was deemed unlikely to receive approval, given surrounding landmarks already honour Queen Elizabeth II’s other children.
The department recommended considering either an entirely fresh name or leaving the plateau without any designation.
The board’s secretary, Wendy Shaw, confirmed the proposal was discussed at an April meeting, but members deferred their final ruling.
“The NZGB does not currently have a confirmed date set for when this decision will be made,” Ms Shaw stated, adding the matter would likely be addressed at a scheduled October 13 gathering.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has faced mounting scrutiny since 2019 revelations about his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, leading to his withdrawal from public duties following a widely criticised television appearance.
King Charles revoked his titles in October, and New Zealand subsequently withdrew a Commemoration Medal awarded during the 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations.