DEFENCE chiefs have been told to “get on with it” and strip disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his final title amid long delays.
King Charles stripped his brother of all his style, title, and honours following renewed scrutiny of his links to convicted sex offender and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The shock removal process axed Andy’s titles Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh and the style ‘His Royal Highness’.
He also lost his Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
He has also been evicted from his Royal Lodge home and will move to a private residence on the King’s Sandringham estate.
But Andrew is still a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy despite the government’s pledge to strip him of the honour at Charles’ request.
Secretary John Healey said the government would “work to remove” his last remaining title of vice-admiral.
But last night the Ministry of Defence revealed the process was still not complete and told the Times that the matter was “ongoing”.
A spokesperson for the MoD told the Times: “Defence continues to act in line with His Majesty’s intent regarding the process to remove the style, titles and honours of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.”
Admiral Lord West, the former first sea lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, said: “It seems extraordinary that it is taking so long, and I cannot see why it is so difficult to remove it.
“He has paid a penalty for his stupid behaviou,r and that is right.
“We recently swiftly removed the first sea lord from his position and he had the rank of admiral, so it cannot be that difficult. They should just get on with it.”
The decision and power to remove the honorary vice-admiral title remains with the government and not the King.
Andrew served in the Royal Navy for 22 years until 2001 and fought in the Falklands as a helicopter pilot.
He was awarded the honorary rank of vice-admiral by the Navy in February 2015 for his 55th birthday.
He was due to have been promoted to admiral on his 60th birthday in 2020, but the promotion was deferred after Andrew quit his royal duties following the disastrous BBC Newsnight interview.
Andy has been under renewed scrutiny after sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre made a number of claims against him in her posthumous 400-page biography.
Ms Giuffre, who took her own life in April, has alleged she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Andrew on three occasions.
Despite insisting he had never met Virginia, the former duke paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with her in 2022.
Her memoir went on to make further unsettling allegations about his alleged conduct.
In a bombshell statement issued to the world, Buckingham Palace said: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
“His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
“Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
Inside Andrew and Epstein’s friendship
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
The former Duke of York is among the biggest names associated with Epstein.
Andrew and Epstein shared a well-documented friendship for some years before the New York financier’s arrest on serious sex trafficking charges.
Andrew has always denied ever witnessing or suspecting Epstein of committing any crimes.
Leaked emails revealed how Epstein called Andrew “great fun”.
In 2010, when the former prince was the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment, Epstein urged a friend to meet up with Andrew at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The exchange between Epstein and Boris Nikolic, adviser to Bill Gates, happened via email in January 2010.
This was just six months after Epstein was released from prison in Florida, having served time for procuring a minor for prostitution.
The conversation released by the US Congress last week begins with Epstein asking Nikolic, if he’s had “any fun” at Davos so far.
In his notorious Newsnight interview five years ago, Andrew vowed to help the probe into Epstein and his warped madam, Ghislaine Maxwell.
But the royal has remained silent – and claimed he knew nothing of Epstein’s vile crimes despite their close bond.
Andrew twice stated his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein had provided “seriously beneficial outcomes”, allowing him to meet people and prepare for a future role as a trade envoy.
He expressed regret at making contact with Epstein in 2010 – flying to New York to tell him in person that the friendship was over – after the 66-year-old had been released from an 18-month prison term for prostituting minors.
But BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis highlighted how he spent several days with him at his home, and how he was the guest of honour at a dinner party that reportedly celebrated Epstein’s release.
Andrew said there was a “small” dinner party, but later added, “I don’t think it was quite as you might put it”.
He also said that staying at Epstein’s house was “definitely the wrong thing to do”.
Andrew added: “But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that’s just the way it is.”
