LONDON: The British government has confirmed it is moving to strip Andrew Mountbatten Windsor — formerly Prince Andrew — of his last remaining honorary military title, Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy, at the request of King Charles III.
The decision marks another blow to the King’s younger brother, whose public life has unravelled amid ongoing controversy over his ties to convicted sex offender late Jeffrey Epstein.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said on Sunday that the government was “working to remove” Andrew’s honorary vice-admiral rank, describing it as a step guided by the King’s wishes.
“This is a move that’s right, it’s a move the King has indicated we should take, and we’re working on that at the moment,” Healey told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Andrew, 65, retained the vice-admiral title after being stripped of other honorary military roles and royal patronages in 2022 by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The latest move comes just days after King Charles formally removed all of his younger brother’s remaining royal titles and privileges.
Buckingham Palace formalises name change
On Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would no longer hold the style of “Prince” and would henceforth be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
The Palace said the decision was part of a “formal process” initiated by the King to remove Andrew’s styles, titles, and honours.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the Palace said, adding that the King and Queen’s “utmost sympathies remain with victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
The Palace also confirmed that Andrew will vacate his residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor, following formal notice to surrender his lease.
He will reportedly relocate to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, with accommodation privately arranged by the King.
Ties to Epstein continue to shadow Andrew
The latest developments follow years of public and media scrutiny over Andrew’s links to Epstein.
The former prince was accused in a civil case filed in the United States by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was forced to have sex with him as a teenager — claims Andrew has consistently denied.
The case was settled out of court in 2022 without any admission of liability.
The fallout from the scandal has long damaged Andrew’s standing within the Royal Family.
Once celebrated for his service as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War, he retired in 2001 after 22 years of service.
Emails released in US court documents showed that Andrew remained in contact with Epstein even after the financier’s 2008 conviction.
In one 2010 email, he told Epstein that it would be “good to catch up in person,” according to media reports.
Palace and public reaction
Royal observers say King Charles’s decision reflects a determination to draw a clear line between the monarchy and Andrew’s controversies.
“It seems the King is intent on taking absolutely everything away from his brother,” royal journalist Valentine Low told the BBC. “It’s a flinty-eyed ruthlessness he’s displaying.”
The BBC’s former royal correspondent Jennie Bond said the Prince of Wales likely played a key role in urging his father to act.
“I think this line had to be drawn, and William was probably pushing for the King to do so,” she said, noting that recent royal tours were being overshadowed by renewed scrutiny of Andrew.
According to government and Palace sources, the removal of Andrew’s remaining honours will follow established constitutional procedure.
Royal warrants will be issued by the King and sent to the Lord Chancellor, David Lammy, to make the revocations official.
The titles being stripped include Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh, as well as the honours of Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order.
Andrew has also lost the right to be addressed as “His Royal Highness.”
Family impact and public standing
Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also move out of Royal Lodge and revert fully to her maiden name after losing the courtesy title of Duchess of York.
Their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their titles, as they remain daughters of the son of a sovereign under the 1917 Letters Patent issued by King George V.
Despite his fall from grace, Andrew remains eighth in line to the British throne, though he no longer has any public duties or royal patronages.
Royal historians say this latest move — the removal of his final military rank — effectively ends his formal connection to public life.
