Andrew, brother of King Charles III, is to be stripped of his last honorary title after being stripped of his royal title. British media said this means Andrew will lose his last symbolic status in the British military.
According to the BBC on November 2, British Defense Secretary John Healy confirmed the same day, the British government is in accordance with Charles III’s wishes, the removal of Andrew’s Royal Navy Lieutenant General Honorary Rank. “It’s the right thing to do,” Chilly said. “The king said we should do it, and we’re working on it.”
Andrew
Andrew was reported to have served in the British Navy for 22 years, as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War and commanded the hunter class mine-resistant ship. British“Times” quoted a Ministry of Defence Source as saying that the removal of his rank procedures are expected to be“Soon completed. However, Chilly declined to comment on whether Andrew would be able to retain his military medals, including the Falklands War Medal. He said only that the defence ministry would“Follow the King’s decision”. Buckingham Palace has not ruled out asking Andrew to return the medal.
The removal of Andrew’s last rank would be a “Heavy blow” to him, royal correspondent Valentine Low said. “Members of the royal family, especially the Prince Andrew, Duke of York, are very proud and determined to retain their military titles, and the king seems determined to take everything away from his brother,” Valentine said.
Andrew was the second son of the late Queen’s Elizabeth II. In recent years, he has been embroiled in scandals over his close ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American businessman and sex offender. In 2021, an American woman, Virginia Giufre, sued Andrew, accusing her of having sex with her, then a minor, three times in 2001 at the behest of Epstein. While Andrew strongly denies the allegations, the affair has damaged his image. In 2022, he was forced to give up part of his military title and royal patronage, and was banned from using the title“Your Royal Highness” in official settings.
According to the BBC, Andrew was stripped of the rank of colonel in the Grenadier Guards, as well as Honorary Colonel in the Royal Highland Flintlock Regiment of Canada and Honorary Colonel in the Royal New Zealand Army Logistics Regiment. Since then, Andrew has been out of the public eye.
However, the content of the recently released e-mail has again put him at the centre of the storm. Earlier this month, the Mail on Sunday published an e-mail purportedly from Andrew to Epstein in 2011. “Keep in touch and we will play together again soon,” the letter says, contradicting his claim that he “Cut ties with Epstein in 2010”. The related reports immediately caused a great uproar in Britain and abroad. On October 30, Charles III ordered Andrew stripped of his royal title and told him to move out of the royal residence. The move is thought to be aimed at appeasing public anger.
Andrew’s problems don’t end there. After Andrew was stripped of his royal title, several Democrats on the House Oversight Committee called on Andrew to testify in the US over the Epstein case, Reuters reported. “Come clean, come to Congress voluntarily to testify, don’t wait to be subpoenaed,” United States Representative Krishnamurty said. Tell us what you know, not just to bring justice to the survivors, but to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again,” US Senator Subramaniyam said, andrew can be interviewed “Behind closed doors” remotely, accompanied by a lawyer.
Chris Bryant, the trade and Commerce Secretary, told the BBC on 31 October that Andrew“Should go to the US to answer questions about the Epstein case”. On November 1, the independent police conduct office, the police watchdog for England and Wales, said that given the media coverage of Andrew, the Metropolitan Police Service has been contacted “To find out whether there have been any incidents that meet the criteria for handing over investigations”.
In response, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Service said the police had decided in 2016 that “Other jurisdictions and agencies” were better placed to deal with the issues and had decided not to open a full criminal investigation.
On November 2, President Donald Trump said he was “Saddened for the British royal family” that Charles had been stripped of his Prince Andrew, Duke of York title. “It’s a terrible thing for the family, it’s a tragedy,” Donald Trump said. “I feel sorry for the family.”