King Charles ends Andrew's royal role, three years after fall from military honour and command
In a dramatic and unprecedented move, King Charles III has formally stripped his younger brother Andrew of his princely status, his Duke of York title, and the style of His Royal Highness – marking a definitive end to Andrew's public life as a member of the royal family.
The decision, confirmed by Buckingham Palace, follows years of speculation over Andrew's future after his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and his withdrawal from public duties in 2019. While the Duke had already been excluded from royal engagements, this formal act severs his final symbolic ties to the monarchy.
The loss of his titles brings a stark conclusion to a royal career that once featured a prominent military role. Andrew, a former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who served in the Falklands War as part of a 22-year military career, had already been stripped of his honorary military appointments in 2022, as public and institutional pressure mounted on the palace to act.
Which military titles did he have, and what did he give up?
Those positions — long a source of pride and public visibility — included:
:: Colonel of the Grenadier Guards
:: Royal Colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers
:: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Canada)
:: Colonel-in-Chief of the Yorkshire Regiment
:: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Lancers
:: Colonel-in-Chief of the Small Arms School Corps
:: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Irish Regiment
:: Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess Louise Fusiliers (Canada)
:: Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen’s York Rangers
:: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment
:: Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Lossiemouth
:: Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm
These honorary commands had reflected Andrew's long-standing association with Britain's Armed Forces, and their removal in 2022 was seen as the first clear sign that his royal role was irretrievable.
By formally stripping him of his titles, King Charles has now closed the final chapter on his brother's public standing – a move both symbolic and constitutional, underscoring the King's determination to protect the integrity of the monarchy.
Andrew will henceforth be known as Andrew Windsor Mountbatten. He has also been ordered to leave Royal Lodge, the 30-bedroom home on the Windsor Estate he has lived in with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson for over two decades.
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