The UK defence secretary has confirmed that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly the Duke of York, will be stripped of his honorary naval title of vice-admiral as King Charles moves to close a damaging chapter in the royal family’s history.
Defence Secretary John Healey told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that ministers are working with the king to remove the last of Mountbatten Windsor’s military honours. The move follows last week’s decision to strip him of his royal titles and require him to vacate Royal Lodge, his long-time Windsor residence.
“In defence, as in all areas, we’ve been guided by the king’s judgments,” Healey said. “Andrew has already surrendered his honorary military roles, and we’re now working to remove his remaining vice-admiral rank.”
Asked whether the former prince could also lose his service medals, Healey said there were no current plans to do so, noting that “those medals recognise his military service”.
Mountbatten Windsor, who served in the Royal Navy for more than 20 years, including as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War, has been under renewed scrutiny over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The renewed attention follows the publication of memoirs by Virginia Giuffre, who alleges she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with the former prince when she was 17. He has consistently denied all allegations.
Newly released emails from 2010 reveal Mountbatten Windsor corresponded with Epstein after the financier’s release from prison, expressing an interest in meeting again. The two were later photographed walking together in New York’s Central Park that December a meeting the former duke later called a mistake.
After Giuffre filed a civil case in 2021, Mountbatten Windsor relinquished most of his honorary roles but retained the vice-admiral rank. His naval pension, reportedly around £20,000 a year, is believed to be his sole declared income.
Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that King Charles had used royal prerogative powers to remove his brother’s titles without involving parliament. Palace sources also told The Guardian that the king approved a one-off, six-figure financial settlement and will personally fund a modest annual allowance to help his brother adjust to private life.
While the loss of titles takes effect immediately, the former prince is expected to remain at Royal Lodge until after Christmas and will not join the royal family at Sandringham for the festive season.
