Prince Andrew has gone. Since 2014, his royal visage has presided over Rathbone Street in Fitzrovia, on the hanging sign of the Duke of York pub. It has now been taken down, and the pub is closed for a refit. The controversial prince swings no more.
The owners of the pub had stuck stubbornly by their dubious figurehead, despite many unsavoury allegations against the Duke. They have now retired. New owners McMullen and Sons wasted no time in decoupling Andrew from his fixtures. It is not known where the portrait has been taken. We've asked the local Pizza Express for comment.
Few will miss the tarnished face of Windsor on the streets of Fitzrovia. But his removal will be a jolt to trivia fans. It now means that the only pub in Greater London to feature a living person on its pub sign is the King's Head in Bexley (so far as we know).
Meanwhile, the Duke of York pub still retains a larger curved panel portrait, which will be more of a sweat to remove.
We're sure it will be prised off in due course. For now, the Grand old Duke of York is both up and down.
Thanks to Mark Mason and Paddy O'Connell for the tip.
