Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

**Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor** (born 19 February 1960), formerly known as **Prince Andrew, Duke of York**, is a younger brother of Charles III, the Head of the Commonwealth. 

Although he now has no royal status, Mountbatten-Windsor was eighth in line of succession to the British throne, as the second son of Elizabeth II. 

He was the Duke of York from 1986 to 2025. In that role, he undertook official duties and engagements on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II. 

He was the Special Representative for International Trade and Investment for ten years until July 2011. 

Mountbatten-Windsor resigned from his royal duties in November 2019. In 2025, he agreed to stop using his titles. 

On 17 October 2025, he publicly announced that he would no longer use his peerage titles. In February 2026, he was arrested for misusing his public office.

## Early life
Mountbatten-Windsor was born at Buckingham Palace in London. He went to Heatherdown Preparatory School in Berkshire, and Gordonstoun in Scotland.

## Military career 
Andrew served in the Royal Navy from 1979 to 2001. He saw active duty as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War. He was promoted to rear admiral on his 50th birthday on 19 February 2010 and to vice admiral in 2015.

## Marriage and children 
In 1986, Mountbatten-Windsor 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. Mountbatten-Windsor and his wife separated in 1992, and divorced in May 1996. Their marriage, separation, and divorce attracted extensive media coverage.

## Controversy
Mountbatten-Windsor was accused of child sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre who alleged that, at the age of 17, she was sex-trafficked to him by financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor categorically denied the allegation.

On 16 November 2019, Mountbatten-Windsor was interviewed for the BBC television programme *Newsnight*. The interviewer talked about Mountbatten-Windsor's friendship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who he had met through Ghislaine Maxwell. The interview was very bad for the British royal family, because many people who saw the interview thought Mountbatten-Windsor was unsympathetic to Epstein's victims.

Due to the sexual abuse allegations, Mountbatten-Windsor resigned from public roles in 2020. He was the defendant in a sexual assault lawsuit raised by Giuffre in 2022, which was settled out of court in February.

On 30 October 2025, Buckingham Palace announced that "His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known only as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor". Mountbatten-Windsor's profile was removed from the royal website.

## Arrest and police investigation 
In February 2026, Thames Valley Police said that they were thinking about investigating a report that Mountbatten-Windsor misused his office and shared official secrets. He was arrested on the morning of 19 February for misusing his office as prince. Charles III later released a statement saying that "the law must take its course".

## Titles, styles, honours and arms 
In 2022, Mountbatten-Windsor gave back his honorary military titles and royal patronages. On October 17, 2025, he said he will stop using his peerage titles of Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh, and his honours, including his knighthoods as a Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter and a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. This happened after having talks with King Charles. 

### Titles and styles 
* 19 February 1960 – 23 July 1986, 17 October 2025 – October 2025: *His Royal Highness* The Prince Andrew
* 23 July 1986 – 17 October 2025: *His Royal Highness The Duke of York*
** In Scotland: His Royal Highness The Earl of Inverness
** In Northern Ireland: Baron of Killyleagh
* As from 17 October 2025: *Mr. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor*

### 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 
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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.

## References