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The former Duke of York loses his naval title as the monarch aims to draw a line under the ongoing scandal regarding his connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Stripping of Honors Underway

The former prince will be stripped of his honorary rank of naval commander, which he was granted in 2015 and had retained even after giving up other armed forces roles in 2022.

The defense minister announced on Sunday that ministers were working with the king to strip his military titles.

"In general, the government has been guided by the decisions and judgments the king has made. In defence, it's precisely identical," the defense secretary said.

Further Repercussions

Asked whether the former duke could lose his military medals as well, the minister answered that they were "awards recognizing his military career" and added: "There's no current information on that, but just as with his vice-admiral rank, we would be directed by the judgments the king makes."

Historical Circumstances

The former royal has been facing fresh examination over his ties to Epstein following the release of late-published recollections by Virginia Giuffre, who alleges she was compelled into sexual encounters with Andrew on multiple instances, including when she was 17 years old.

Newly released emails show that the ex-royal wrote to Epstein in 2010 after the financier got out from jail on allegations involving sex trafficking.

In the correspondence made public recently, the convicted sex offender suggested that Andrew meet former JP Morgan executive Jes Staley, who was banned from the UK banking sector for life in June for misleading the watchdog about his connections to Epstein.

Military Service

Andrew was a member of the navy for over 20 years, including as a aircraft commander during the Falklands war. After Giuffre filed three years ago, he stopped using most of his armed forces honors but retained the rank of vice-admiral.

His military retirement pay is his only current source of declared income after serving between 1979 and 2001, amounting to £20,000 a year.

Recent Developments

Royal officials formally announced last week he would lose the titles of prince and Duke of York, as well as being required to vacate his residence at Royal Lodge and move into personal housing in Sandringham.

Palace officials had collaborated with civil servants in the government department to avoid the decision having to be approved by lawmakers, eventually agreeing that the king should remove the title entirely using his powers of royal prerogative.

While the loss of his titles takes effect right away, the former prince is not expected to leave Royal Lodge until following the holidays, meaning he will not be present when the royals gather at Sandringham for the festive season.