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Prince Andrew loses his naval title while King Charles seeks to put an end to the ongoing scandal involving his brother's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Removal Process In Progress

The former prince is losing his honorary rank of naval commander, which he was granted in 2015 and kept even after giving up other military positions in 2022.

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

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

Further Repercussions

When questioned about Mountbatten Windsor could lose his military medals as well, the minister answered that they were "awards recognizing his military career" and added: "I don't have an update on that, but similar to his vice-admiral rank, we would be guided by the decisions the king makes."

Background Context

The former royal has been facing fresh examination over his ties to Epstein following the release of posthumous memoirs by Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was forced to have sex with Mountbatten Windsor on three occasions, including when she was a teenager.

Newly released emails reveal that the former prince contacted Epstein in 2010 after the latter was released from jail on charges of sex trafficking.

Through email exchanges released on Friday, the convicted sex offender 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 connections to Epstein.

Naval Career

The former duke served in the navy for more than two decades, including as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands war. After Giuffre filed three years ago, he ceased utilizing most of his armed forces honors but kept the rank of vice-admiral.

His military retirement pay is his only current source of declared income after his service from 1979 and 2001, reportedly totaling £20,000 a year.

Latest Changes

Royal officials officially declared last week he would be stripped of the honors of prince and Duke of York, as well as being required to vacate his residence at Royal Lodge and relocate to private accommodation in Sandringham.

Royal staff had collaborated with civil servants in the government department to prevent the decision having to be taken by parliament, finally deciding that the king should abolish the dukedom entirely using his monarchical authority.

While the loss of his titles comes into effect immediately, the former prince is not expected to leave Royal Lodge until after Christmas, meaning he will not be present when the royals gather at Sandringham for the festive season.