King lets Andrew keep Falklands War medal despite losing titles over Epstein ties
It comes after the former Duke had his Prince style and honorary rank of vice admiral stripped from him
The King will allow his brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to keep his Falklands War medal, it has been revealed.
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It was confirmed earlier this week that the former Duke of York was to have his honorary rank of vice admiral stripped from him.
The rank was his last remaining honorary military title since he handed back the others in 2022 over his connections with the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
However, Buckingham Palace have since confirmed that Andrew's Falklands medal will be retained alongside all operational service medals, the Telegraph has revealed.
Read more: Taking away Andrew's medals: Veterans give unanimous verdict
Andrew spent 22 years in the Navy and served throughout the 1982 conflict as a Sea King helicopter co-pilot, carrying out anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, casualty evacuation and search-and-rescue missions.
Other Falklands veterans warned that it would be “morally indefensible” to take a medal earned through active service.
Simon Weston, 64, who was severely burned when his troop transport RFA Sir Galahad was attacked during the conflict, told the newspaper: "He has lost all other aspects of dignity, respect and honour he was ever once shown.
"But the one thing you cannot strip away from the man no matter how vindictive, vicious or virtue-signalling you want to be is that moment in his life where he was dignified, honourable and courageous.
"What gives the Government a right to even consider stealing someone’s property? He earned this. He paid for it with time and sacrifice. How dare you think you can take this from him."
Another senior defence source who served in the Falklands added: "Instinctively if one does something brave it seems extraordinary to then go and say someone hasn’t done something brave."
Andrew was awarded the South Atlantic Medal, known as the Falklands Medal, with an additional rosette for his actions.
Around 33,000 of the medals have been issued, but only a tenth of those include the rosette.
Mr Weston said stripping Andrew of the military honour would have been an affront to other veterans. "It’s trivialising what the medal stands for.
"It's not a gift. It’s something you earn," he added.
"I do feel like there are people now who are trying to ramp up every type of humiliation against Andrew to emasculate him.
"Who he has been involved with is abhorrent… but it’s not right to take his medal away."
Mr Weston noted that others convicted of crimes including murder had been allowed to keep their medals.
"We need to get hold of our moral compass," Mr Weston said.
"Andrew has been stripped of every bit of dignity and honour bestowed on him by his family and country. He has been stripped of being a prince which was his birthright.
"Those were things given to him and inherited. But this is something that he earned from his own duty and action. That’s a line in the sand."
The late Queen stripped Andrew of his military affiliations and charity patronages in January 2022, shortly before he agreed a financial settlement with the late Virginia Giuffre, his sex abuse accuser.