Prince Andrew to Lose Military Rank in Latest Fallout From Epstein Scandal
LONDON – The UK government is preparing to strip Prince Andrew of his honorary military titles, the latest consequence of his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move follows a fiercely worded statement from Buckingham Palace on Thursday announcing the Duke of York will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, effectively distancing him from the royal family.
The decision to remove Andrew’s military affiliations underscores the ongoing pressure on the monarchy to sever ties with the disgraced royal. He was previously colonel-in-Chief of several regiments, including the Grenadier Guards, and held honorary roles within the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
Buckingham Palace stated that these actions were “deemed necessary” despite Andrew’s continued denial of wrongdoing. The King and Queen also affirmed their “utmost sympathies” remained with “the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
A source close to the King and Queen Camilla told The Sunday Times the palace’s statement was “exceptional,” representing “the closest you’ll get to the king and his court passing judgment on his brother.”
Recent reports indicate Andrew Mountbatten Windsor had resisted acknowledging the victims of Epstein’s crimes, refusing to sign off on statements referencing them since his controversial 2019 Newsnight interview. “There has long been a sense from the family that the voices of the victims needed to be heard,” another source told The Sunday times.
Further scrutiny arose this week with the release of a 2010 email in US court documents, revealing Andrew wrote to Epstein following his release from jail for sex offenses, expressing interest in meeting in New York to “catch up in person.”
