UK to strip Andrew of last military position: minister

Former prince Andrew will be stripped of his last remaining military post as part of King Charles’ decision to remove his brother from public life, the UK defense secretary has said.

Defense Secretary John Healey told BBC television that moves were being made to eliminate Andrew’s vice admiral position in the UK navy and that Charles “has indicated that is what he wants”.

The King last week stripped his younger brother, known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, of the title of prince and evicted him from his estate in a bid to prevent further damage to the royal family’s reputation due to Andrew’s ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Healey said his department was “working to remove” the rank, which was given to Andrew on his 55th birthday in 2015.

“It’s the right move, it’s the move the King said we needed to make and we’re working on it now,” Healey said.

Andrew retained his rank of vice admiral when he gave up his other military duties in 2022.

Healey did not comment on whether Andrew would be able to keep his medals, including the campaign medal he received for his service in the Falklands War, but said the Ministry of Defense would be “guided by the King’s decisions”.

Andrew has been associated with the royal navy since 1979, when he began officer training at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.

He later served as a helicopter pilot and was part of the task force deployed to retake the Falkland Islands following the Argentine invasion in 1982.

with PA