Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, (Andrew Albert Christian Edward, born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British Royal Family, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He has been titled Duke of York since 1986, and is eighth in line to succession to the British throne. Andrew is the first in line to not be a descendant of the current reigning monarch.
Born to Elizabeth and Philip in 1960, Andrew became the first child born to a reigning monarch since 1857. Andrew served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot, instructor, and captain of a battleship. During the Falklands War, Andrew served on multiple missions, despite controversy due to the possibility amongst Parliament of the Queen's son losing their life. In 1986, Andrew was created Duke of York the day he married Sarah Ferguson, in addition to Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh. Their marriage, separation in 1992, and divorce in 1996 attracted extensive media coverage. As Duke of York, Andrew undertook official duties and engagements on behalf of the Queen. He served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment for 10 years until July 2011.
Life
Prince Andrew was born at Buckingham Palace in London. He went to Heatherdown Preparatory School in Berkshire, England, and Gordonstoun in Scotland. Prince Andrew did not go to university, he went to Britannia Royal Naval College instead. In the Navy, he served in the Falklands War, and continued his career, becoming a commander in 1999 and an honorary captain in 2001.
Andrew resigned from his royal duties in November 2019.
Controversy
Andrew has been accused of child sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre (nee Roberts) who alleges that, at the age of 17, she was sex-trafficked to Andrew by financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew categorically denied said allegation. Due to sexual abuse allegations, Andrew resigned from public roles in 2020. Andrew was the defendant in a sexual assault lawsuit by Giuffre in 2022, which Andrew settled out of court in February.
Lawsuit and its end (2022)
On February 15, 2022 a lawsuit against Andrew, was settled; The lawsuit never went to trial. Andrew [was] a defendant in a lawsuit - Virginia Giuffre v. Prince Andrew - at the lower courts of the federal court system of the United States. The civil lawsuit (see civil law), says that he had sex in 2001 with a female (Virginia Giuffre) that was 17 years old; Prince Andrew "has strongly denied any wrongdoing", media said.
Friendships
In November 2019, Prince Andrew was interviewed for the BBC television programme Newsnight on 16 November 2019. The interviewer talked about the Prince's friendship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; They met thru Ghislaine Maxwell. The interview was very bad for the British royal family, because many people who saw the interview thought Prince Andrew was unsympathetic to Epstein's victims.
Personal life
In 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson, the younger daughter of Ronald Ferguson, the polo manager for the Prince of Wales. They have two daughters from the marriage: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Andrew and Sarah separated in 1992, and divorced in May 1996.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
In 2022, he gave back his honorary military titles and royal patronages. He has the rank Vice-Admiral.
Titles and styles
19 February 1960 - 23 July 1986: His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew
23 July 1986 - present: His Royal Highness The Duke of York
In Scotland His Royal Highness The Earl of Inverness
In Northern Ireland Baron of Killyleagh
Honours
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO), 19 December 1979
KCVO: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, 3 June 2003
GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 21 February 2011
South Atlantic Medal, with rosette, 1982
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, 1990
Canadian Forces Decoration
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, 2002
Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan, 2005
KG: Knight of the Garter, 23 April 2006
Ranks in the military
1979-1981: Midshipman, Britannia Royal Naval College, HMS Seahawk
1981-1984: Sub Lieutenant, Pilot, 820 NAS on HMS Invincible;
1984-1992: Lieutenant, Pilot, 815 NAS on HMS Brazen; Helicopter Warfare Instructor, 702 NAS at RNAS Culdrose; Flight Commander, 829 NAS on HMS Campbeltown
1992-1999: Lieutenant Commander, Captain, HMS Cottesmore; Senior Pilot, 815 NAS at RNAS Portland; Directorate of Naval Operations, British Ministry of Defence
1999-2005: Commander, Diplomacy Section of the Naval Staff. Released from the active list in 2001.
2005-2010: Honorary Captain
2010-2015: Rear Admiral
2015-: Vice-admiral
Appointments
He had military appointments:
Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen (1 February 1984 - 13 January 2022)
Honorary military appointments
In Canada he holds the following military appointments:
Colonel-in-Chief of the Canadian Airborne Regiment (disbanded)
Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess Louise Fusiliers
Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment)
An earlier appointment was Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada.
In New Zealand he had military appointments:
Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment
In the UK he had military appointments:
Honorary Air Commodore of the Royal Air Force Lossiemouth
Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm
Colonel-in-Chief of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
Colonel-in-Chief of the Small Arms School Corps
Colonel-in-Chief of the Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot)
Royal Colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps
Arms
The Duke's personal coat of arms are those of the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom with a label for difference: Quarterly (by quarters):
1st and 4th, Gules three Lions passant guardant in pale Or (England). (The first and fourth quarters display the three lions, representing England.)
2nd quarter is of a lion rampant within a Double Tressure floury counterflory Gules (Scotland). (The second quarter, displays a red lion in a yellow field with a double border coloured red, this represents Scotland.)
3rd, Azure a Harp Or stringed Argent (Ireland). (The third quarter shows a harp against a blue background, this represents Ireland.)
The whole differenced by a Label of three points Argent the central point charged with an Anchor Azure''. The anchor is in reference to his naval career.
The arms are identical to those his grandfather George VI used when still Duke of York.