After weeks of controversy, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor could face the ultimate embarrassment and be stripped of his last remaining military title. The King’s disgraced brother, 65, could be set to lose the campaign medal he received after he served in the Falklands War.
Defence Secretary John Healey said at the weekend that Andrew would be stripped of his honorary rank of vice-admiral, his final honorary military title, but did not confirm whether Andrew would be able to retain his medals.
Mr Healey said that his department was “working to remove” the rank, which Andrew was awarded on his 55th birthday in 2015.
He added: “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.”
Andrew has been associated with the Royal Navy since 1979, when he began officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.
He subsequently served as a helicopter pilot and was part of the task force deployed to retake the Falklands following the Argentinian invasion in 1982.
He concluded his active naval career in 2001 with the rank of commander, but later received honorary promotions, including to vice admiral in 2015.
In 2022, Andrew returned his other military titles and royal patronages and stopped using the title, His Royal Highness, in an official capacity, after he was accused of sexual abuse in a civil case in the US, claims he has continuously denied.
Titles that Andrew lost at the time included colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of the most senior infantry regiments in the British Army, as well as several overseas honorary positions.
The latest update on Andrew comes as US President Donald Trump gave his view on the former Duke’s fall from grace.
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, the President was asked about the King’s decision to strip his brother of his peerages and the title of prince. It’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the (royal) family. That’s been a tragic situation. It’s too bad. I feel badly for the family.”
