Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is a member of the Windsor royal family.
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on February 19, 1960, in London. He is the third child in the family.
He spent his childhood at Buckingham Palace under the care of a governess, who taught him until he was 5 years old. After that, he attended Heatherdown School in Berkshire.
In September 1973, he continued his education at Gordonstoun Boarding School in Scotland.
From January through June 1977, he completed an internship at Lakefield College in Canada. Two years later, he graduated from Gordonstoun.
In April 1979, he enrolled at the Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom to train as a military pilot.
Career
Since 2001, Andrew has served as the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. He has represented the country at trade shows and business conferences in various countries.
In October 2004, he visited Russia.
On September 3, 2012, he was one of 40 participants in a stunt who rappelled down The Shard skyscraper to draw investors’ attention to the Outward Bound and Royal Marines Charitable funds.
Since 2014, as part of the Pitch@Palace initiative, he has supported entrepreneurs and helped them find potential investors.
Military Career
Education
In November 1978, the Royal Court announced that Andrew would join the Royal Navy the following year. In December, he passed the selection process at the RAF Biggin Hill training center, as well as additional tests and interviews aboard HMS Daedalus and HMS Sultan.
From March through April 1979, he was enrolled at the Royal Naval College to train as a pilot. On May 11, he signed a 12-year contract.
On September 1, he was commissioned as an ensign and enrolled at the Royal Naval College, Britannia, in Dartmouth. That same year, he completed the Royal Marines’ All Arms Commando course and was awarded a green beret.
On September 1, 1981, he was promoted to lieutenant, and on October 22, he was assigned to the Trained Strength.
After studying at Dartmouth, he underwent flight training with the Royal Air Force at RAF Leeming and with the Royal Navy at HMS Seahawk, where he learned to fly the Gazelle helicopter.
He later trained on the Sea King helicopter and underwent operational flight training until 1982. He then joined the 820th Naval Aviation Squadron aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible.
The Falklands War
On April 2, 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, marking the start of the war with Britain. The aircraft carrier HMS Invincible, on which Andrew served, was one of two ships in the British task force under the command of the Royal Navy.
Because of the risk to a member of the royal family, the government proposed transferring Andrew to another post, but Queen Elizabeth II insisted that he stay.
During the war, Andrew served as a co-pilot on a Sea King helicopter, participating in anti-submarine missions, the evacuation of the wounded, transport missions, and search-and-rescue missions.
After the war ended, the ship returned to Portsmouth, where the crew was greeted by the royal family.
Andrew, for his part, continued to serve on the Invincible until 1983.
Career Officer
In late 1983, he transferred to RNAS Portland and became a Lynx helicopter pilot. A year later, he was promoted to lieutenant and became the Queen’s personal aide-de-camp.
Until 1986, he served as a pilot on HMS Brazen, including during a deployment in the Mediterranean Sea.
Starting in October, he took a helicopter warfare instructor course at RNAS Yeovilton.
From February 1987 to April 1988, he served as a helicopter training officer in the 702nd Squadron. He later served on HMS Edinburgh as a watch officer and participated in the Outback 88 exercises.
From 1989 to 1991, he commanded a squadron and flew the Lynx HAS3 on HMS Campbeltown. During his service, the ship served as the flagship of NATO forces in the North Atlantic.
On July 16, 1991, he passed the exam to become a squadron commander.
The following year, he attended military college in Camberley, after which he was commissioned as a lieutenant commander. From 1993 to 1994, he commanded the minesweeper HMS Cottesmore.
From 1995 to 1996, he served as senior pilot of the 815th Naval Aviation Squadron—the largest flight unit in the Naval Aviation. He was responsible for flight standards and the unit’s combat readiness.
On April 27, 1999, he was promoted to the rank of commander.
In 2001, he completed his active duty service and worked at the Ministry of Defense as an officer in the Diplomatic Directorate of the Naval Staff.
In 2004, Andrew was named honorary captain, and on February 19, 2010, he was promoted to rear admiral.
In 2015, he was promoted to vice admiral.
“The Epstein Files”
On August 9, 2021, Virginia Giuffre, an American citizen, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan alleging that she had been sexually assaulted by Prince Andrew in London and New York. According to her, she was lured into sexual exploitation by financier Jeffrey Epstein, who had a relationship with the prince.
On February 19, 2026, Andrew was arrested by British police on suspicion of passing classified information to Epstein while serving in government positions.
Marital Status
After marrying Sarah Ferguson, he was granted the title of Duke of York. During their marriage, the couple had two daughters:
- Beatrice of York, born in 1988;
- Yevgeniya Yorkska was born in 1990.
On May 30, 1996, the couple divorced.
