Plans are under way to begin removing the name of Prince Andrew from a street in Northern Ireland after councillors backed the move.
The motion to rename Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus was put forward by Alliance councillors in Mid and East Antrim on Monday evening after the disgraced British royal was stripped of his titles and honours last month.
Alliance representative Lauren Gray, who brought the proposal, said calls to change the street name had grown “substantially” in the past year.
“We’re now in the space to have this conversation,” she said.
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“What is absolutely clear is that the people of Carrickfergus deserve to have a say in how we progress this.”
About 10 people live on the street and the chamber heard it will “not be simple” to the make the change, as multiple agencies will have to be consulted, including the royal household.
An amendment was also carried to rename the street after the late British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, to ensure the town’s “important link with the royal family is maintained”, Ms Gray said.
A public consultation is to take place on the issue.
Last month, Buckingham Palace announced Prince Andrew, the brother of King Charles, was be stripped of his royal title and other titles and honours, including that of Baron Killyleagh, a village in Co Down.
The former prince is now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
It follows further revelations over his close links to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and allegations by the late Virginia Giuffre that he sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager.
He denies the accusation.
Alliance councillor Aaron Skinner seconded the motion and said that people across Carrickfergus felt “deeply uneasy” about “honouring Andrew Mountbatten in this way”.
“There’s a strong belief that he no longer reflects the values of our community and given everything that has come to light and continues to come to light, the name needs to change.”
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The TUV’s Anna Henry said it was a “sad but necessary” proposal and that the “interests of victims must come first”.
All parties represented, including the DUP, UUP, TUV and Sinn Féin, backed the motion.
There were also calls for the local authority to back any costs associated with the change.
Council chief executive Valerie Watts said it was an “emotive issue” and that she respected the rights of councillors.
She warned, however, that a name change was “not straightforward” as there was no council policy on the matter and it could have “far-reaching implications” for residents, including “changing your address for your bank account, credit card, driver’s licence, utility bill etc”.
“However, it can be done and council does have the power to change street names,” Ms Watts added.
