King Charles will let Andrew Mountbatten Windsor keep his Falklands War campaign medal after veterans’ fury, it has been reported. Veterans said it would be “morally indefensible” for the King to take away Andrew’s award for his active service.
On Sunday, Defence Secretary John Healey said the King had requested that Andrew’s final military title be removed. Mr Healey claimed that the King had “indicated that’s what he wishes” and that the Government is working to remove Andrew’s rank as Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy.
The rank is his last remaining honorary military title, as he handed back the others in 2022 due to the Epstein scandal.
The Defence Secretary would not comment on whether Andrew would be able to keep his medals, including the campaign medal he received for his service in the Falklands War, but said the Ministry of Defence would be “guided by the decisions the King makes”.
But according to The Telegraph, Buckingham Palace has now confirmed that Andrew’s Falklands medal will be retained alongside “all operational service medals”.
Andrew served in the Navy for 22 years, from 1979 until 2001.
Simon Weston, 64, who was injured 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.”
He added: “It’s trivialising what the medal stands for. It’s not a gift. It’s something you earn.”
A senior defence source said: “Instinctively, if one does something brave, it seems extraordinary to then go and say someone hasn’t done something brave.”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
