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The former Duke of York is set to lose his honorary military rank as King Charles seeks to put an end to the ongoing scandal involving his brother's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Stripping of Honors In Progress

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is losing his honorary rank of vice-admiral, which he obtained in 2015 and had retained even after surrendering other military positions in 2022.

The defense minister announced on Sunday that government officials were collaborating with the king to remove his naval honours.

"Typically, the government has been guided by the rulings and determinations the king has made. Regarding military matters, it's exactly the same," Healey stated.

Additional Consequences

When questioned about Mountbatten Windsor could lose his military medals as well, Healey responded that they were "awards recognizing his military career" and continued: "There's no current information on that, but just as with his vice-admiral rank, we would be guided by the judgments the king makes."

Historical Circumstances

The former royal has been under renewed scrutiny over his connections with Epstein following the release of posthumous memoirs by Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was compelled into sexual encounters with Mountbatten Windsor on three occasions, including when she was a teenager.

Recently disclosed emails show that the former prince contacted Epstein in 2010 after the financier got out from jail on allegations involving soliciting prostitution.

In the correspondence released on Friday, the disgraced financier proposed that Andrew meet former JP Morgan executive Jes Staley, who was banned from the UK banking sector for life in June for misleading the watchdog about his relationship with Epstein.

Naval Career

The former duke was a member of the navy for more than two decades, including as a helicopter pilot during the 1982 conflict. After Giuffre filed three years ago, he stopped using most of his armed forces honors but retained the rank of naval commander.

The navy pension is his only current source of official earnings after his service from 1979 and 2001, reportedly totaling £20,000 a year.

Recent Developments

Buckingham Palace officially declared last week he would be stripped of the honors of prince and Duke of York, as well as being made to leave his home in Windsor and relocate to personal housing in Sandringham.

Royal staff had worked with civil servants in the government department to prevent the decision having to be approved by lawmakers, eventually agreeing that the king should remove the title entirely using his monarchical authority.

While the removal of honors takes effect immediately, the former prince is not anticipated to vacate Royal Lodge until following the holidays, meaning he will not be present when the royals gather at Sandringham for the holiday.