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The former Duke of York loses his honorary military rank as King Charles seeks to conclude the ongoing scandal surrounding his brother's relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Stripping of Honors Underway

The former prince will be stripped of his military title of vice-admiral, which he received in 2015 and had retained even after relinquishing other armed forces roles in 2022.

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

"Typically, the government has been guided by the decisions and judgments the king has made. In defence, it's exactly the same," Healey stated.

Further Repercussions

Asked whether Mountbatten Windsor could lose his military medals as well, Healey responded that they were "medals for his service" and added: "I don't have an update on that, but just as with his naval title, we would be guided by the decisions the king makes."

Background Context

Mountbatten Windsor has been facing fresh examination over his relationship with Epstein following the release of late-published recollections by Virginia Giuffre, who alleges she was forced to have sex with Mountbatten Windsor on three occasions, including when she was 17 years old.

Newly released emails demonstrate that the former prince wrote to Epstein in 2010 after the latter was released from jail on charges of sex trafficking.

Through email exchanges made public recently, the disgraced financier suggested that Mountbatten Windsor meet former JP Morgan executive Jes Staley, who was banned from the UK banking sector for life in June for deceiving regulators about his connections to Epstein.

Military Service

The former duke was a member of the navy for over 20 years, including as a aircraft commander during the Falklands war. After a civil case was initiated three years ago, he ceased utilizing most of his military titles but retained the rank of naval commander.

The navy pension is his only current source of official earnings after serving between 1979 and 2001, reportedly totaling £20,000 a year.

Recent Developments

Buckingham Palace formally announced last week he would lose the titles of royal titles, as well as being made to leave his residence at Royal Lodge and relocate to personal housing in Sandringham.

Royal staff had worked with civil servants in the government department to prevent the decision having to be taken by parliament, eventually agreeing that the king should remove the title entirely using his monarchical authority.

While the removal of honors comes into 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 holiday.