Andrew's Outfit During His Latest Outing May Have Been a Defiant Move Against the Crown
Andrew was recently spotted driving near the Long Walk in Windsor wearing a red jumper.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has become synonymous with scandal and remains an embarrassment to the royal family. While the former Prince has largely remained silent, this time he let his outfit do the talking. On January 26, he was photographed driving near the Long Walk in Windsor wearing a red jumper that, at first glance, seemed unremarkable. However, a closer look revealed that it bore the Grenadier Guards insignia, a military affiliation he lost four years ago, making the outfit choice a subtle act of defiance toward the Crown.
Currently holed up at Royal Lodge, the former Duke of York appeared to send a pointed message through his clothing, signaling that despite the Crown's decision to strip him of his military titles, he continues to proudly identify with his past service. He seemingly conveyed that, regardless of the public opinion of him, he is and will always remain a veteran who once served his country. The Telegraph reported that Mountbatten-Windsor's colonelcy of the Grenadier Guards, the British Army's most senior infantry regiment, was formally returned to the late Queen Elizabeth in January 2022, when he was stripped of his royal patronages. The loss was seen as a major blow at the time, coming amid his legal battle with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of indecent relations with her when she was a minor.
Mountbatten-Windsor had inherited the honorary colonelcy of the Grenadier Guards role from his father, Prince Philip, in December 2017. That appointment was among several military titles stripped from him in 2022, following calls from 150 veterans urging the late Queen to remove his eight military roles. The prestigious role later went to Queen Camilla in December 2022, three months after the Queen's death.
Mountbatten-Windsor continues to grapple with the lasting consequences of his scathing ties to Epstein. Now, the only military affiliations that remain with him are his operational service medals, which include his Falklands War campaign medal. Mountbatten-Windsor's Prince and Duke of York title was removed by King Charles in October, and in December, he was stripped of his last military title, the honorary military rank of vice-admiral. He now clings to only one honorary distinction, his vice-admiral rank in the Royal Navy. According to The Sun, Defence Secretary John Healey has said the government will 'work to remove' the honor. However, the power to do so lies with ministers of the Ministry of Defence rather than the monarch.
Mountbatten-Windsor served in the Royal Navy for 22 years until 2001 and fought in the Falklands War as a helicopter pilot. Following his service, in a decision approved by the Queen, he was awarded the honorary rank of Vice-Admiral by the Navy for his 55th birthday. He was due for promotion to the rank of Admiral on his 60th birthday, but by that time, his ties to Epstein and the fallout from his 2019 Newsnight interview had led to the promotion being taken away.
