London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Prince Andrew returned from Falklands War 'a changed man', he says in deleted post

Prince Andrew returned from Falklands War 'a changed man', he says in deleted post

Prince Andrew returned from the Falklands War "a changed man", he said in a now deleted piece posted on his ex-wife's Instagram account.

The Duke of York recalled his time as a helicopter pilot in the conflict 40 years ago in three posts on Saturday.

His piece was initially signed off as HRH The Duke of York, before the reference to His Royal Highness was soon removed.

And only hours later all the posts were removed.

It is unclear why the 700-word account was taken down.

But Andrew gave up the right to use HRH in an official capacity in January when the Queen stripped her son of his honorary military roles as he faced a US civil action over sexual assault allegations, which he denied.

Virginia Giuffre sued Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her on three occasions when she was 17. The case later reached a multi-million pound settlement out of court.

In the first Instagram post, Sarah, Duchess of York wrote that she had asked Andrew for his reflections on the 40th anniversary of his sailing from Portsmouth to the Falklands.

Prince Andrew began: "As I sit here at my desk on this cold crisp spring morning thinking back to April 1982 I've tried to think what was going through my mind as we sailed out of Portsmouth lining the flight deck of HMS INVINCIBLE."

He concludes: "So whilst I think back to a day when a young man went to war, full of bravado, I returned a changed man.

"I put away childish things and false bravado and returned a man full in the knowledge of human frailty and suffering."

The 62-year-old said he was thinking about those experiencing conflict today.

A bad week made worse

Prince Andrew has found himself firmly back in the headlines this week, but presumably not in the way he'd hoped.

The Instagram posts, via the account of his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, have just made a bad week worse.

It is unclear why Prince Andrew decided to record his reflections on his Falklands experience.

As a veteran he clearly has memories to share, but he isn't a working royal. He no longer has an official status within public life.

Nobody within the royal household speaks on his behalf and he has deleted all of his own social media accounts.

Crucially, he should no longer be using the HRH style alongside his name, as the Duchess of York initially did in the posts before swiftly removing it.

Whatever the intention, it all looked clumsy and ill-conceived.

Add to that Prince Andrew's role supporting his mother at Westminster Abbey last Tuesday during the Thanksgiving service for his father. He was at the event because it was deemed a "family occasion".

Prince Andrew escorted the Queen at a memorial service for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey


These things are carefully choregraphed. There had been a clear timetable of arrival times, with the prince originally scheduled to enter Westminster Abbey alongside his daughters.

There was no mention of him escorting his mother - so something changed.

Coming up are the official celebrations to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Will Prince Andrew be involved in any of these events?

He may want to be. The rest of his family may have other ideas.

In the posts, Andrew also described being shot at: "I was flying and saw a chaff shell fired from one of our ships that passed not that far in front of us.

"For a moment it was on a steady bearing before it began to cross to our left.

"The terror that that was going to be that, just for a moment, has had a lasting and permanent effect on me."

Andrew spoke about how the war had affected him during his 2019 Newsnight interview in which he denied allegations of sexual assault.

Responding to a claim he went on a night out with Ms Guiffre, who claimed he was sweating heavily, Andrew said: "I didn't sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War when I was shot at and I simply... it was almost impossible for me to sweat."

Prince Andrew in 1983

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×