The former Prince Andrew (65) has suffered another severe blow. After losing his HRH (His Royal Highness) and the title of Prince, he has now been stripped of the last honorary position he had left: his rank of Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy.

The British Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the honorary rank of Vice Admiral has been stripped from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and replaced with the lower rank of Commander Retired. This is the rank with which he actually ended his own active service in the navy. Andrew served in the Royal Navy for a total of 22 years and served as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War.

This decision follows the previous removal of other titles, honours and the removal of his dukedom from the official list of peerages, all of which were due to Andrew’s “serious lapses of judgment”. The final step, which completes his fall from public and institutional life, was requested by King Charles III (77), Andrew’s older brother and current ruler.

Andrew received the honorary rank of vice-admiral in 2015 on the occasion of his 55th birthday, with the consent of the then Queen Elizabeth II (†96). It was originally planned that he would be promoted to admiral in 2020. However, this plan was canceled due to his links to American financier Jeffrey Epstein (†66), who was convicted of serious sex crimes.

In addition, the former Duke of York will have to move out of the Royal Lodge in Windsor and into a much more modest residence on the King’s private estate at Sandringham. The removal of his last honorary title symbolically closes a chapter in the life of a man who was once considered a respected member of the royal family but now stands completely outside its official structures.