Defence chiefs told to get on board with axeing of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s navy title
The former prince is still a vice-admiral despite the King’s withdrawal of the rest of his honours over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is still a vice-admiral in the Royal navy, despite the government’s pledge to strip him of the honour four weeks ago at the King’s request.
Senior military figures described the delay in removing the disgraced former Duke of York’s last remaining title as “extraordinary” and called on the government to “get on with it”.
It is up to the government, not the King, to remove Andrew’s vice-admiral title.
Andrew, 65, who served in the navy for 22 years until 2001 and fought in the Falklands as a helicopter pilot, was awarded the honorary rank of vice-admiral for his 55th birthday in February 2015, a move approved by his mother.
He was due to have been promoted to admiral on his 60th birthday in 2020, but this was deferred after he withdrew from public duties in 2019 after the disastrous BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Last month, under pressure over Andrew’s links to Epstein, the King formally stripped his brother of his royal titles and honours – Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh and the style of HRH. A statement from Buckingham Palace on October 30 said: “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
Three days later the defence secretary, John Healey, said the government would “work to remove” Andrew’s last remaining title of vice-admiral. In an interview with the BBC, Healey said: “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.”
But last night (Saturday) the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the process was not complete. It added that the matter was “ongoing” but declined to say what stage the process is at, or provide a reason for the delay. A spokesman said: “Defence continues to act in line with His Majesty’s intent regarding the process to remove the style, titles and honours of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.”
Admiral Lord West, the former first sea lord and chief of the naval staff, said: “It seems extraordinary that it is taking so long and I cannot see why it is that difficult to remove it. He has paid a penalty for his stupid behaviour and that is right.
“What I would not approve of is if he kept the title, that would not be appropriate with his behaviour. We recently swiftly removed the first sea lord from his position and he had the rank of admiral, so it cannot be that difficult. They should just get on with it.”
Earlier this year, Sir Ben Key, a former admiral and the former first sea lord, became the first head of the navy to be sacked after it emerged that Key, who is married with three children, had had an affair with a junior female colleague.
The royal family is braced for further damaging revelations about Andrew with the imminent release of the “Epstein files” in the US, after President Trump signed the Epstein Transparency Act into law, authorising the release of thousands of files relating to the late pedophile who was found dead in his jail cell in New York in 2019, and his associates.
Andrew is still living at Royal Lodge, his 15-bedroom home near Windsor Castle, but has surrendered the lease at the King’s request and is expected to move to a new house on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk next year.
His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, who has lived with Andrew for many years, is expected to make her own future living arrangements.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
The Times
