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The former Duke of York will be stripped of his honorary military rank as King Charles seeks to conclude the continuing controversy regarding his brother's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Stripping of Honors Underway

The former prince is losing his military title of vice-admiral, which he obtained in 2015 and had retained even after giving up other armed forces roles in 2022.

The defense minister announced on Sunday that ministers were working with the king to strip his military titles.

"Usually, the administration follows the decisions and judgments the king has made. In defence, it's exactly the same," Healey stated.

Additional Consequences

Asked whether Mountbatten Windsor could lose his military medals as well, the minister answered that they were "medals for his service" and added: "I don't have an update on that, but similar to his vice-admiral rank, we would be directed by the decisions the king makes."

Background Context

Mountbatten Windsor has been facing fresh examination over his relationship with Epstein following the release of late-published recollections by Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was compelled into sexual encounters with Mountbatten Windsor on three occasions, including when she was 17 years old.

Recently disclosed emails reveal that the ex-royal contacted Epstein in 2010 after the latter was released from jail on charges of sex trafficking.

Through email exchanges made public recently, the disgraced financier proposed that Andrew meet former JP Morgan executive Jes Staley, who was banned from the UK banking sector for life in June for deceiving regulators about his relationship with Epstein.

Naval Career

Andrew served in the navy for over 20 years, including as a aircraft commander during the Falklands war. After Giuffre filed three years ago, he ceased utilizing most of his military titles but retained the rank of vice-admiral.

His military retirement pay is his only current source of declared income after his service from 1979 and 2001, amounting to twenty thousand pounds annually.

Latest Changes

Buckingham Palace officially declared last week he would lose the titles of prince and Duke of York, as well as being required to vacate his home in Windsor and move into personal housing in Sandringham.

Royal staff had collaborated with civil servants in the government department to prevent the decision having to be approved by lawmakers, finally deciding that the king should abolish the dukedom entirely using his monarchical authority.

While the removal of honors takes effect right away, the ex-royal is not anticipated to vacate Royal Lodge until after Christmas, meaning he will not be in attendance when the royals gather at Sandringham for the holiday.