Veterans call for Prince Andrew to be stripped of titles and ranks in armed forces
More than 150 Royal Navy, RAF and Army veterans have written to the Queen, calling for Prince Andrew to be stripped of all his titles and ranks in the British Armed Forces.
The veterans said they are "particularly upset and angry" that Prince Andrew retains his titles and accused the duke of bringing the armed forces into disrepute.
They also spoke about their own service in the military.
The Duke of York will face a civil case trial over allegations he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre when she was 17, a minor under US law.
Andrew has denied the claims and says he has no recollection of having met Ms Giuffre.
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A joint letter issued by Republic - a campaign group which calls for the monarchy to be replaced with an elected head of state - read: “All of us have served our country and are proud to have done so.
"For that reason, we are particularly upset and angry that Prince Andrew remains a member of the armed forces and continues to hold military titles, positions and ranks, including that of Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy.”
They added: “Were this any other senior military officer it is inconceivable that he would still be in post.
“Officers of the British armed forces must adhere to the very highest standards of probity, honesty and honourable conduct.
“These are standards which Prince Andrew has fallen well short of.
“It is hard not to see, when senior officers are reportedly describing him as ‘toxic’, that he has brought the services he is associated with into disrepute.
“We are therefore asking that you take immediate steps to strip Prince Andrew of all his military ranks and titles and, if necessary, that he be dishonourably discharged.”
“We understand that he is your son, but we write to you in your capacity as head of state and as Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
“These steps could have been taken at any time in the past 11 years. Please do not leave it any longer.”
Graham Smith of Republic, who helped coordinate the letter, said: “There is no excuse for allowing Andrew to continue to enjoy the status and prestige of these positions.
“The Queen needs to act now and strip him of all military ranks and titles.”
The Queen is head of the Armed Forces, and honorary military appointments are in her gift.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
The palace previously said the duke’s military appointments are in abeyance after he stepped down from public duties in 2019.
The duke is Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of the oldest regiments in the British Army.
His other British honorary military titles are:
Honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth
Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment
Colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps
Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm
Royal colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers
Deputy colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths’ Own)
and Royal colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
A US judge on Wednesday dismissed a motion by Andrew's legal team to have the lawsuit thrown out.
Ms Giuffre is suing Prince Andrew over claims that Jeffrey Epstein, who was friends with Andrew at the time, trafficked her to have sex with the royal.Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted in December of procuring teenage girls for him.