The Ministry of Defence is preparing to remove Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s final honorary military rank at the direction of King Charles, Defence Secretary John Healey has confirmed.

Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Healey said the King had “indicated that’s what he wishes,” and that officials were now acting on that guidance.

Andrew—who served 22 years in the Royal Navy—has held onto his status as a Vice Admiral since stepping back from public life. It was the only honorary military role he retained after relinquishing all others in 2022.

“This is the right move,” Healey said. “It’s a move the King has indicated we should take, and we’re working on that at the moment.”

A long military career overshadowed

For decades, the King’s younger brother built his public identity around military service. He flew helicopters during the Falklands War and later commanded HMS Cottesmore, a mine countermeasures vessel. Within the Royal Navy, he was long regarded as a committed and capable officer.

But the reputation he once enjoyed has eroded dramatically. After years of scrutiny over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—allegations that Andrew has always denied—pressure intensified for the Royal Family to decisively distance itself.

Last week, Andrew was stripped of his remaining royal titles and privileges. The latest push to remove his final military rank deepens that rupture.

“A blow” to a man who prized military identity

Royal author Valentine Low told the BBC that the loss of Andrew’s Vice Admiral rank will likely hit hard.

“Royals, and particularly Andrew, are very proud and determined to hang onto military titles,” he said. “It seems the King is intent on taking absolutely everything away from his brother. It’s a flinty-eyed ruthlessness he’s displaying.”

A collapse years in the making

Andrew’s departure from public duties began in 2022 after the launch of a US civil case accusing him of sexual abuse—allegations he has consistently denied. He later reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein and abused as a teenager.

At the time, he returned his military titles and royal patronages and stopped using the style “His Royal Highness” in an official capacity. Titles relinquished then included colonel of the Grenadier Guards, as well as several overseas honorary appointments in Canada and New Zealand.

Now, with even his last honorary rank under review, the question for the palace is whether this marks a final line being drawn under Andrew’s public role—or merely the latest step in a long, painful unravelling. Photo by Thorne1983, Wikimedia commons.