The UK government is moving to strip Prince Andrew of his final honorary military title. Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is working to remove Andrew's vice-admiral rank, following King Charles's recent decision to remove his brother's prince title and peerage.
The action represents the last remaining link between Andrew and the armed forces. He received the vice-admiral rank on his 55th birthday in 2015 but surrendered other honorary military positions in 2022 amid the fallout from his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Healey told BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that the government was following the King's lead. «In general, the Government's been guided by the decisions and judgments the King has made. In defence, it's exactly the same. And we've seen Andrew surrender the honorary positions he's had throughout the military, and guided again by the King, we are working now to remove that last remaining title of vice-admiral that he has,» he said.
King's decisive action
The move comes days after King Charles stripped Andrew of his prince and Duke of York titles last Thursday. Royal author Valentine Low described the King's actions as showing «flinty eyed ruthlessness». He noted: «Royals, and particularly Andrew, are very proud and determined to hang onto military titles.»
Andrew had a 22-year career in the Royal Navy, including service as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War. He ended his active service in 2001 as a commander. When asked whether Andrew would keep his military medals, Healey described them as «medals for his service» but added: «I don't have an update for you on that, but just as with his vice-admiral rank and title, we would be guided by the decisions the King makes.»
Relocation and ongoing pressure
Andrew is also set to move from his 30-room Royal Lodge residence to a smaller property on the King's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The relocation follows months of pressure related to his ties with Epstein and allegations of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, which Andrew has consistently denied.
Members of the US House Oversight Committee have called for Andrew to provide testimony about his links to Epstein. Stephen Lynch, a senior committee member, told BBC Newsnight: «We would be extremely interested in hearing from Prince Andrew regarding his involvement in all of this, yes.» Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the situation.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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