London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Prince Andrew: Which military roles has he lost - and what else could he be handing back?

Prince Andrew: Which military roles has he lost - and what else could he be handing back?

Prince Andrew has had his military titles and royal patronages taken away as a civil sexual assault court case against him in the US moves forward.
What has Buckingham Palace said?


"With the Queen's approval and agreement, the Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen," the palace said in a statement on Thursday.

"The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."

The civil case has been brought by Virginia Giuffre, who claims Andrew "committed sexual assault and battery" upon her when she was a teenager.

Virginia Giuffre says she was 17 when she was trafficked to have sex with Prince Andrew - claims he denies.


Ms Giuffre alleges that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was a minor under US law, claims strongly denied by the duke.

Andrew failed in a legal bid to get Ms Guiffre's case against him thrown out.

Which military roles are being handed back?


Following a 22-year career in the Royal Navy, Andrew held several honorary military titles.

These were suspended after he stepped back from public duties in 2019, but he had retained the roles, effectively leaving the affected regiments in limbo.

The positions he is now relinquishing are:

• Colonel of the Grenadier Guards

• Royal colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers

• Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, (Canada)

• Colonel-in-chief of the Yorkshire Regiment

The Duke of York, pictured in 2003, was colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment


• Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Lancers

• Colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps

• Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment

• Colonel-in-chief of the Princess Louise Fusiliers of Canada

• Colonel-in-chief of the Queen's York Rangers

• Colonel-in-chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment

• Honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth

• Commodore-in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm

Prince Andrew was also an honorary Royal Navy vice admiral, but it is unclear what will happen to that role.

What will happen to the military titles?


The military posts have been handed back to the Queen with immediate effect and they will be redistributed among other members of the Royal Family.

The Queen is head of the armed forces and honorary military appointments are in her gift.

The military posts will not be returned to the Duke of York.

What other patronages could the duke lose?


Although many charities relinquished their ties with him after 2019, Andrew was still listed on the Royal Family's website as being a patron or member of around 100 charities and organisations, including hospital trusts, cricket clubs and schools.

They included the Army Officers' Golfing Society, Berkshire County Cricket Club, Killyleagh Yacht Club, Horris Hill School in Hampshire, and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

On Thursday it was revealed he had lost his honorary titles at Royal Portrush and Royal County Down golf clubs in Northern Ireland.

It is thought Andrew will still be known as the Duke of York


What else will change?


The Duke will no longer use the style "His Royal Highness" in any official capacity.

Will he still be called The Duke of York?


It is not known if the palace's announcement covers the Duke of York title but it's thought to be unlikely.

Royal commentator and biographer Christopher Warwick has previously told Sky News that while the Queen can appoint dukes, it takes an act of parliament to remove their titles "which wouldn't cover Andrew or the monarchy in glory".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×