'The Prince Andrew, Duke of York' (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born
19 February 1960) is a member of the
British Royal Family, the third child and second son of
Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of
Duke of York since 1986. The Duke of York is currently 4th in the
line of succession, and has been since the birth of
Prince Harry in 1984.
The Duke of York married and subsequently divorced
Sarah Ferguson. He also served in the
Royal Navy, seeing action in the
Falklands War aboard
HMS ''Invincible''. He currently serves as the United Kingdom's
Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.
Early life
Andrew was born on
19 February 1960 in the Belgian Suite of
Buckingham Palace,
London. His mother is the reigning
British monarch,
Queen Elizabeth II, the eldest daughter of
King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth. His father is
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the son of
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and
Princess Alice of Battenberg. Prince Andrew was named after his paternal grandfather.
The Prince was baptised, in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace, on
8 April 1960, by the
Archbishop of Canterbury,
Dr. Geoffrey Fisher and his godparents were: the
Duke of Gloucester,
Princess Alexandra,
Lord Elphinstone, the
Earl of Euston and
Georgina, Lady Kennard.
Andrew was the first child born to a reigning British monarch since
Queen Victoria's youngest child,
The Princess Beatrice, in 1857. As a child of the reigning monarch, he was styled ''His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew'' from birth.
Education
The Prince Andrew received his early education at home, before attending
Heatherdown Preparatory School, near
Ascot, Berkshire. In September 1973, he followed his father, The Duke of Edinburgh, and his elder brother, HRH
Prince of Wales, to
Gordonstoun, in
Morayshire,
Scotland. From January to June 1977, Prince Andrew went on an exchange programme to
Lakefield College School,
Ontario,
Canada. He left Gordonstoun in July 1979 with
A-levels in English, history and economics, and political science. Unlike his brothers, Prince Andrew did not attend
university, choosing to enter the
Britannia Royal Naval College at
Dartmouth instead.
Military Service
Royal Navy
In November 1978 it was announced that Prince Andrew intended joining the
Royal Navy in the following year. In December he underwent various sporting tests and examinations at the
RAF Officers' Selection Centre, RAF
Biggin Hill. Further tests and interviews were conducted at
HMS Daedalus,
Lee-on-Solent, and interviews at the
Admiralty Interview Board,
HMS Sultan. In March and April 1979 he was with the Royal Naval College
Flight, and underwent pilot grading. He was accepted as a trainee helicopter pilot and signed on for 12 years from
11 May 1979.
Prince Andrew was appointed a
Midshipman on
1 September 1979 and entered Dartmouth on
12 September. He also undertook the
Royal Marine 'Green Beret' course during 1980.
After passing out of Dartmouth, Prince Andrew went on to elementary flying training with the
Royal Air Force at
RAF Leeming,
Yorkshire, and later basic flying training with the Royal Navy at
Culdrose, Cornwall, where he learned to fly the
Gazelle helicopter.
Prince Andrew later converted onto the
Sea King helicopter and conducting operational flying training. In 1982, he joined his first front-line unit 820 Naval Air Squadron, serving aboard the
aircraft carrier,
HMS ''Invincible''.
Falklands War (1982)
On
2 April 1982 the
British colony of the
Falkland Islands was
invaded by
Argentina, an event that led to the
Falklands War. Prince Andrew's ship, HMS ''Invincible'' was one of only two operational aircraft carriers available to the Royal Navy, and as such was to play a major role in
the Royal Navy taskforce being assembled to sail south to retake the islands.
At first the British government were apprehensive of allowing Prince Andrew to remain on ''Invincible'', and wished to move him to a desk job. The prospect of the son of the Queen being killed in action was a possibility, and the government wished to avoid such a circumstance. However, the Queen insisted that Prince Andrew be allowed to remain with his ship, and so he joined the ''Invincible'' as it sailed south, as a
Sea King helicopter co-pilot.
Throughout the conflict Prince Andrew flew on various missions, including
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and
Anti-Surface Warfare search (ASuW), as well as other missions. He also helped in casualty evacuation, transport and Search and Air Rescue (SAR). When the conflict ended, and ''Invincible'' returned to
Portsmouth, the Queen and Prince Philip joined other families of the crew to welcome the vessel home.
The Prince remained with HMS ''Invincible'', with brief assignments to the carrier
HMS ''Illustrious'', Culdrose, and the
Joint Services School of Intelligence,
Ashford, Kent, until 1983.
Career Naval Officer (1979-2001)
In late 1983, Prince Andrew transferred to RNAS Portland and learned to fly the
Lynx helicopter. On promotion to
Lieutenant on
1 February 1984, The Queen appointed him a Personal
Aide-de-camp.
Later service saw the Prince aboard
HMS ''Brazen'' as Flight Pilot, 1984-1986 (including deployment to the Mediterranean as part of
NAVOCFORMED).
In 1986, he undertook the
Lieutenants' Greenwich Staff Course at the
Royal Naval College,
Greenwich. On
23 October 1986 he transferred to the General List. He then did a four month helicopter warfare instructors' course at
RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), and served from February 1987 to April 1988 as a helicopter warfare officer in
702 Naval Air Squadron,
RNAS Portland (HMS Osprey).
He served on
HMS ''Edinburgh'' as an
Officer of the Watch and Assistant
Navigating Officer 1988-1989, including a six month deployment as part of Exercise ''Outback 88'' to the
Far East.
Prince Andrew, now the Duke of York, served as flight commander and pilot of the Lynx HAS3 of
HMS ''Campbeltown'' 1989 to 1991. During this assignment he served as Force Aviation Officer to
STANAVFORLANT when HMS ''Campbeltown'' was flagship of the NATO force in the North Atlantic 1990-1991.
Prince Andrew passed the squadron command examination on
16 July 1991. In 1992, he attended the
Staff College, Camberley and completed the army staff course.
He became a
Lieutenant-Commander on
1 February 1992, and passed the ship command examination on
12 March 1992. Between 1993 and 1994, he commanded the Hunt Class Minehunter
HMS ''Cottesmore'', based at
Portsmouth. Curiously, one of the officers of the ship was
Sub-Lieutenant JW Gold, a Special Duties (commissioned from the ranks) electronic warfare officer. It is not clear whether this had any specific implications, however such highly specialised officers are usually deployed to major warships which contain a strategic intelligence suite, and his presence on a mine countermeasures vessel was unusual.
In 1995 and 1996, the Duke of York was Senior Pilot of
815 Naval Air Squadron, a unit with over 80 aircrew, 420 ground staff and 41 helicopters - the largest flying unit in the
Fleet Air Arm. The main role of the Senior Pilot was to supervise flying standards to guarantee an effective operational capability.
Prince Andrew was made a
Commander on
27 April 1999. He finished his naval career at the
Ministry of Defence in
London 1999 to 2001 as an officer of the Diplomatic Directorate of the
Naval Staff.
He was released from the Active List of the
Royal Navy in July 2001. In July 2005, he was promoted to
Captain, Royal Navy. Unusually, although a former career officer, His Royal Highness was made an Honorary Captain, rather than given the substantive rank of Captain, as was traditional and might have been expected.
Canadian military
Andrew is the
Colonel-in-Chief of a number of
Canadian Forces regiments, travelling to Canada to frequently undertake duties related to these roles. Rick Peters, commanding officer of
the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada stated: "[Andrew]'s very well informed on Canadian military methods."
[2]
Marriage
On
23 July 1986, Prince Andrew married
Sarah Ferguson, the second daughter of the late Major
Ronald Ferguson and his former wife, the late Susan (Mrs. Hector) Barrantes, at
Westminster Abbey. On the day of his wedding, the Queen created him
Duke of York,
Earl of Inverness and
Baron Killyleagh - titles previously held by both his maternal great-grandfather and grandfather,
King George V and
King George VI. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are close in age being only a few months apart. They had known each other since childhood and would meet occasionally at Polo matches, a sport in which both families took a keen interest. They became re-acquainted with one another during the Ascot racing season of 1985.
Together the Duke and Duchess of York have two children:
★
Princess Beatrice of York (born
8 August 1988)
★
Princess Eugenie of York (born
23 March 1990).
Divorce
The Duke and Duchess of York appeared to have a happy marriage and presented a united front during the late 1980s. The Duchess was seen as a breath of fresh air in the context of the stuffy royal protocol surrounding the Royal Family. However, underneath there were problems in the marriage, largely involving the fact that the Duke of York was frequently away on Navy business and the relentless, often critical, media attention focussed on the Duchess.
On
19 March 1992, the Duke and Duchess announced their plans to separate. It was an amicable parting, and the decision was made by the Duke and Duchess alone. Some months after their separation in 1992, pictures of the Duchess appeared in the British tabloid press, showing her in compromising positions with her financial advisor, the American
John Bryan. This effectively ended any hopes of a reconciliation and did nothing to diminish the extent to which the Duchess was being targeted by the tabloid media.
The Duke and Duchess of York divorced on
30 May 1996.
[3] Their divorce was friendly, and it was stipulated that custody of the two princesses would be shared between them. The Duchess of York was no longer
''Her Royal Highness'', but instead became styled, as the
ex-wife of a peer, as
Sarah, Duchess of York. The close, now-platonic, friendship between the Duke and Duchess has continued, and the Duchess lived on and off in the Duke's home at
Sunninghill Park until 2004.
Current role
Currently the Duke of York works for the
Department of Trade and Industry as the
United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. He took over from
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent in this role. The role involves the Duke representing the UK at various trade fairs and conferences all over the world.
The Duke is also a keen
golfer and is Captain of the
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and also a member of
the Royal Burgess Golfing Society. This is not without controversy and the Duke has been criticised for using the
Queen's Flight for transport to various golfing functions.
Since 2004, Prince Andrew has lived at
Royal Lodge,
Windsor Great Park, the former country home of his grandmother,
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Prior to that he lived at
Sunninghill Park. The Duke of York maintains an office at
Buckingham Palace.
For the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in May 2007, the Duke served as
Lord High Commissioner. The role granted him, in Scotland, whilst the assembly was in session, precedence immediately after his parents, and the style
''His Grace'' 'The Lord High Commissioner'
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles
★ '
19 February 1960-
23 July 1986:' ''His Royal Highness'' The Prince Andrew
★ '
23 July 1986:' ''His Royal Highness'' The Duke of York
★
★ ''in Scotland: '''May 2007:'
''His Grace'' The Lord High Commissioner
Honours
'British Honours'
★ 'KG:'
Knight of the Garter, ''
23 April 2006''
★ 'KCVO:'
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, ''
3 June 2003''
★
★ 'CVO:'
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, ''
19 December 1979''
★ 'ADC(P):'
Personal Aide-de-Camp to The Queen, ''
1 February 1984''
★
South Atlantic Medal, with rosette, ''1982''
★
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, ''1977''
★
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, ''2002''
'Commonwealth Realms Honours'
★
Canadian Forces Decoration
★
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, ''1990''
Military
★ ''1981-1983'': Pilot, 820 NAS on
HMS ''Invincible'' (including activity in the
Falklands War)
★ ''1983-1984'': Conversion to
Lynx at
RNAS ''Culdrose''
★ 'Lt', ''1984-1986'': Promoted to
Lieutenant; pilot, 815 NAS on
HMS ''Brazen''
★ ''1987-1989'': Helicopter Warfare Instructor, 702 NAS at RNAS Culdrose
★ ''1989-1991'': Flight commander, 829 NAS on
HMS ''Campbeltown''
★ 'Lt Cdr', ''1992-1993'': Army Command and Staff Course; promoted to
Lieutenant-Commander
★ ''1993-1994'': Captain,
HMS ''Cottesmore''
★ ''1994-1996'': Senior Pilot, 815 NAS at
RNAS Portland
★ ''1997-1999'': Directorate of Naval Operations,
MOD
★ 'Cdr', ''1999-2001'': Promoted to
Commander; appointed to Diplomacy Section of the Naval Staff
★ 'Capt', ''2005'': Promoted to
Captain (honorary)
Honorary military appointments
He holds the following military appointments:
''
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of the
9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of
The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of the
Small Arms School Corps
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of
The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's)
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of
The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot)
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of
The Canadian Airborne Regiment ''(disbanded)''
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of the
Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment) ''(disbanded; amalgamated to
Royal Regiment of Scotland)''
★ Royal
Colonel, of the
Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
★ Honorary
Air Commodore,
Royal Air Force Lossiemouth.
★
Commodore-in-Chief,
Fleet Air Arm
★ Admiral of the
Sea Cadet Corps
''
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of
The Princess Louise Fusiliers
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of
The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment)
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of
The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada
''
★
Colonel-in-Chief, of
The Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment
Arms
The Duke's personalized
coat of arms are those of the
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom with a label for difference: ''Quarterly (by quarters):
:'1st' and '4th', Gules three Lions passant guardant in pale Or (England). (The first and fourth quarters display the three lions, representing England.)
:'2nd' quarter is of a lion rampant within a Double Tressure floury counterflory Gules (Scotland). (The second quarter, displays a red lion in a yellow field with a double border coloured red, this represents Scotland.)
:' 3rd', Azure a Harp Or stringed Argent (Ireland). (The third quarter shows a harp against a blue background, this represents Ireland.)
The whole differenced by a Label of three points Argent the central point charged with an ''Anchor Azures''. The anchor is in reference to his naval career.
Ancestry
External links
★
Royal.gov.uk- The Duke of York
★
Prince Andrew Visits Lakefield College School
★
References
1. The 1960 Order-in-Council giving the surname 'Mountbatten-Windsor' to the male-line descendants of the Duke of Edinburgh and Elizabeth II specifically refers only to such descendants without a royal title, as those with it generally have no need for a surname. Despite this, the Duke of York (like his sister) entered with this surname in the marriage register.
2. Hurst, Jeff; ''Cambridge Times'': Princely plans for Andrew; May 1, 2007
3. www.thepeerage.com
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