By Katherine Tinsley
3:30pm PST, Dec 15, 2025
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was demoted from Vice Admiral to Commander, which was his only remaining military title.
"Following formal consideration, the Defence Council have agreed the immediate reversion from the rank of Vice-Admiral to the rank of Commander (Retired) Royal Navy, the rank held on retirement from Regular Royal Naval Service by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor," a government spokeswoman confirmed to The Sun. "This decision aligns with such processes as to remove other styles and titles."
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's friendship with
Jeffrey Epstein led to the end of his royal career. Along with his ties to the financier, Epstein victim
Virginia Giuffre accused the ex-prince of assault, detailing their interactions in her posthumous memoir. Following the book's release,
King Charles III stripped his brother of his prince status and royal estate.
"It is a huge blow because he thinks of himself as an Armed Forces man," royal expert Ingrid Seward told
Daily Express.
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"He served very bravely in the Falklands. I think the service, being in the Navy, has been the most stable thing in his life," Ingrid Seward continued. "He'll be very hurt by that. He might feel that enough is enough, and they're really digging at him now."
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's military career has been largely eclipsed by a series of personal scandals.
"This might hurt quite a lot more than some of the other things he's lost, because he will feel he has earned the right to the ranking," Ingrid Seward said. "He may well be bitter."
