Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is facing the loss of another honorary title amid the fallout from his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and accusations of sexual abuse made by Virginia Giuffre. Ministers are reportedly in talks to strip Andrew of honorary rank of vice-admiral - which he was awarded on his 55th birthday in 2015. Despite giving up his other military positions in 2022, he retained his vice-admiral rank. However, Defence Secretary John Healey has suggested that this may change.
The rank is his last remaining honorary military title after handing back other titles in 2022 and being stripped of more in 2025 – including the Knight Commander of the Order of the Garter. Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr. Healey said that his department was "working to remove" Andrew's vice-admiral rank. "In general, the Government's been guided by the decisions and judgments the King has made," he said.
"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." When asked if Andrew would also lose his medals, Mr. Healey said: "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."
Andrew served in the Royal Navy from 1979 to 2001 where he primarily worked as a helicopter pilot aboard the HMS Invincible. His 22-year service in the Navy also saw him deployed to the Falklands War in 1982, where he was involved in the notably dangerous Exocet missile decoy. Since retiring from the Navy in 2001, the former Duke of York has been decorated with a number of military honours. In 2022, following scrutiny surrounding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and accusations of sexual abuse from Virginia Giuffre, he handed them back.
What other titles has Andrew lost?
On 17 October, it was announced that Andrew would lose his 'Duke of York' title – as well as his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who lost her Duchess of York title. He also quietly lost his titles as Earl of Inverness (Scotland) and Baron Killyleagh (Northern Ireland). As for honours, he was stripped of his Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
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Then, on 30 October, Buckingham Palace released another statement where it was announced that there would be formal action to remove Andrew's titles. Thus, Prince Andrew would from then on be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. It was also confirmed that the former Duke of York would vacate his Windsor home, Royal Lodge.
© Tim Graham Photo Library via GetIt came after years of scrutiny over the Queen's second son over his ties to the deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. The former Duke of York was connected to the disgraced financier as far back as 2001 and was named in documents in a U.S. civil case filed against Mr. Epstein in 2015.
In 2019, just months after Mr. Epstein was found dead in his prison cell, Andrew gave an interview with Emily Maitlis on Newsnight where he strenuously downplayed his connection to the deceased paedophile and denied Virginia Giuffre's accusations. A year after Virginia filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew in the U.S. in 2021, Andrew was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages by the late Queen.
© Getty ImagesIn 2025, private emails from Mr. Epstein's Yahoo account were obtained by Bloomberg and the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed Andrew had kept in touch with Mr. Epstein after his 2010 arrest. They also revealed the two men discussing the publication and circulation of the infamous photograph, which showed Andrew with his arm around Virginia.
