Former Prince Andrew to Lose Final Military Rank Amid Epstein Scandal

The UK government announced on Sunday its intention to strip former prince Andrew of his honorary vice-admiral title, his final remaining military rank.

Andrew previously had his honorary military titles removed by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 2022 following Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against him. Giuffre was the main accuser of US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

This latest development comes after King Charles III on Thursday withdrew all of his younger brother's remaining royal titles and honors amid growing public outrage in the UK over Andrew's connections to Epstein.

Defence Minister John Healey told the BBC, "We've seen Andrew surrender the honorary positions he's had throughout the military... Guided again by the king, we are working now to remove that last remaining title of vice-admiral that he has."

Healey added that the government would follow the king's guidance regarding whether Andrew should also lose his military medals.

The king's younger brother was once celebrated for his service as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War. He retired in 2001 after 22 years of military service.

Andrew has consistently denied sexually abusing Giuffre, who claimed in her posthumous memoir published in October that she was trafficked to have sex with him three times, twice when she was only 17.

Buckingham Palace issued a strongly-worded statement on Thursday declaring, "Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor" adding "these censures are deemed necessary" despite his denials.

The king and queen also expressed that their "utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."

A friend of the king and Queen Camilla told the Sunday Times: "That was extraordinary. That's the closest you'll get to the king and his court passing judgment on his brother."

When asked about the situation on Sunday aboard Air Force One, US President Donald Trump told an AFP reporter, "I feel badly for the family." He added, "It's a terrible thing that's happened to the family. That's been a tragic situation." Trump himself has faced political challenges in recent months over his alleged relationship with Epstein.

UK media reported that Andrew had refused to approve any statements mentioning victims since his disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, in which he defended his ties to Epstein and showed no empathy for the women involved.

"There has long been a sense from the family that the voices of the victims needed to be heard," another friend told the Sunday Times.

Queen Camilla has been a long-time advocate for abuse victims, and the royal family had growing concerns about the reputational damage caused by the scandal.

Court documents released Thursday in the United States included an email from Andrew to Epstein in 2010, following Epstein's release from jail for prostituting minors. In the email, Andrew mentioned planning a trip to New York, saying it would be "good to catch up in person".