Prince Andrew loses his honorary military rank as the monarch seeks to conclude the continuing controversy involving his brother's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The former prince is losing his honorary rank of vice-admiral, which he obtained in 2015 and had retained even after relinquishing other armed forces roles in 2022.
Defence Secretary John Healey stated on Sunday that government officials were collaborating with the king to strip his military titles.
"Usually, the administration follows the decisions and judgments the king has made. In defence, it's precisely identical," Healey stated.
When questioned about Mountbatten Windsor could lose his military medals as well, Healey responded that they were "medals for his service" and continued: "There's no current information on that, but similar to his vice-admiral rank, we would be guided by the judgments the king makes."
The former royal has been under renewed scrutiny over his connections with Epstein following the release of late-published recollections by Virginia Giuffre, who alleges she was compelled into sexual encounters with Mountbatten Windsor on three occasions, including when she was a teenager.
Newly released emails reveal that the former prince contacted Epstein in 2010 after the financier got out from jail on allegations involving soliciting prostitution.
Through email exchanges released on Friday, the disgraced financier suggested that Mountbatten Windsor meet former JP Morgan executive Jes Staley, who was prohibited from the UK banking sector for life in June for deceiving regulators about his connections to Epstein.
Andrew served in the navy for over 20 years, including as a helicopter pilot during the 1982 conflict. After a civil case was initiated three years ago, he ceased utilizing most of his armed forces honors but retained the rank of vice-admiral.
The navy pension is his only current source of official earnings after his service from 1979 and 2001, amounting to £20,000 a year.
Buckingham Palace officially declared last week he would be stripped of the honors of royal titles, as well as being required to vacate his residence at Royal Lodge and relocate to private accommodation in Sandringham.
Palace officials had worked 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.
Although the loss of his titles comes into effect right away, the ex-royal is not anticipated to vacate Royal Lodge until after Christmas, meaning he will not be present when the royals gather at Sandringham for the holiday.
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