Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been stripped of his last remaining military title, just months after losing his Prince and Duke of Edinburgh titles (as well as the lease on his Royal Lodge home).
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that Andrew no longer holds the honorary military rank of vice-admiral and has now been reduced to the rank of commander (retired) Royal Navy.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said the decision had been made after “formal consideration” and would come into “immediate” effect. Explaining what the new title means, the spokesperson noted that it is the rank held on retirement from “regular” Royal Naval service.
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“This decision aligns with such processes as to remove other styles and titles,” they added.
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The removal of his last remaining military title will no doubt come as a blow to the former Prince. Andrew was a naval helicopter pilot who flew in the Falklands conflict and was previously commodore-in-chief of the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps.
Andrew also held honorary military titles, such as colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and was made a vice-admiral on his 55th birthday in 2015. In 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth II stripped her son of all military titles and patronages shortly before he settled a civil claim brought about by Virginia Giuffre. Andrew settled the claim for millions of dollars outside of court, although he denies any wrongdoing.
Despite losing most of his military affiliations, Andrew was permitted to retain his vice-admiral title, but that has now been removed, too.
As for whether Andrew has kept any of his medals, The Telegraph reports that the former Prince still has his Falklands War campaign medal alongside all operational service medals. The decision to allow Andrew to keep those came after veterans warned it would be “morally indefensible” to take any medals earned through active service.
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Jade Biggs (she/her) is one of Cosmopolitan UK’s freelance writers, working across all sections including entertainment, beauty, body, and sex and relationships. She previously held the position of Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and the latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. Jade has a degree in journalism and has been a journalist and content editor for ten years, interviewing leading researchers, high-profile influencers, and industry experts in that time. She is a cat mom to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches, and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.