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The former Duke of York is set to lose his naval title as King Charles aims to conclude the ongoing scandal regarding his connections with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Removal Process Underway

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor faces removal of his military title of naval commander, which he received in 2015 and kept even after giving up other military positions in 2022.

Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed on Sunday that government officials were collaborating with the king to strip his military titles.

"Usually, the administration follows the decisions and judgments the king has made. Regarding military matters, it's exactly the same," Healey stated.

Further Repercussions

Asked whether Mountbatten Windsor could lose his military medals as well, Healey responded that they were "medals for his service" and continued: "I don't have an update on that, but similar to his naval title, we would be guided by the judgments 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 states she was forced to have sex with Mountbatten Windsor on three occasions, including when she was a teenager.

Newly released emails demonstrate that the ex-royal wrote to Epstein in 2010 after the latter was released from jail on charges of soliciting prostitution.

In the correspondence made public recently, 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 deceiving regulators about his connections to Epstein.

Naval Career

The former duke was a member of the navy for over 20 years, including as a aircraft commander during the Falklands war. After Giuffre filed three years ago, he stopped using most of his military titles but kept the rank of naval commander.

His military retirement pay is his sole existing means of declared income after his service from 1979 and 2001, reportedly totaling twenty thousand pounds annually.

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 made to leave his residence at Royal Lodge and relocate to private accommodation in Sandringham.

Palace officials had collaborated with civil servants in the Cabinet Office to avoid the decision having to be approved by lawmakers, eventually agreeing that the king should abolish the dukedom entirely using his powers of royal prerogative.

While the removal of honors takes effect immediately, the ex-royal is not anticipated to vacate Royal Lodge until after Christmas, meaning he will not be present when the royals gather at Sandringham for the holiday.