Just weeks after he was stripped of his royal titles, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has faced fresh humiliation after losing his last remaining military title. 2025 has seen the former prince officially became a commoner, losing his status after more details about his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released. And now the stripping away of titles has continued. (Picture: EPA)
Following a meeting of the Defence Council, Andrew, 65, will no longer be allowed to use the title of Vice-Admiral — a move which, according to Defence Secretary John Healey previously, was one the King ‘indicated we should take’. Instead, Andrew’s military status has been downgraded to ‘commander.’ (Picture: Jordan Pettitt / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
A Government spokesman said. ‘Following formal consideration, Defence Council have agreed the immediate reversion from the rank of Vice-Admiral to the rank of Commander (Retired) Royal Navy, the rank held on retirement from Regular Royal Naval Service by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. This decision aligns with such processes as to remove other styles and titles.’ Andrew will, however, be allowed to keep the medals he earned during the 1982 Falklands War, when he served in the Navy as a helicopter pilot. (Picture: REUTERS)
Buckingham Palace announced in October that the disgraced royal would, from now on, ‘be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’, as well as confirming he would be evicted from the Royal Lodge – a Grade II-listed, 30-room mansion in Windsor – and move to a property on the grounds of Sandringham, a royal estate in Norfolk. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, was also reported in October to be moving out of the Windsor mansion. (Picture: AP)
In a further development, the Met Police have revealed Andrew will not face any further action after allegedly asking his bodyguard to find out information on his accuser Virginia Giuffre. According to claims first published in the The Mail on Sunday in October, Andrew first handed over Ms Giuffre’s details to his close protection officer in 2011 and instructed him to find dirt on her as part of a smear campaign. However the Met’s chief specialist crime commander said the force had not received any evidence to justify opening a probe. (Picture: Toby Melville/PA Wire)
She said: ‘Following recent reporting suggesting that Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his Met Police close protection officer to carry out checks on Ms Giuffre in 2011, the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) has carried out a further assessment. This assessment has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct.’ (Picture: REUTERS)
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‘The Met remains committed to thoroughly assessing any new information that could assist in this matter. To date, we have not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation. In the absence of any further information, we will be taking no further action. As with any other matter, should new and relevant information be brought to our attention, including in any information resulting from the release of material in the US, we will assess it.’ (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
The family of Ms Giuffre, who died in April, said they were ‘deeply disappointed’ with this decision, adding: ‘With the Epstein files about to be released by [the US] congress since the passage of the Epstein Transparency Act, we are surprised that the Metropolitan Police didn’t wait to see what further evidence might appear. While we have hailed the UK’s overall handling of the case of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor previously, today we feel justice has not been served.’ (Picture: TNS)Add as preferred source