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All against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Falkland plaques and tributes removed

Former Duke of York, Falkland institutions remove dedications and honours

Three weeks after losing his titles of Prince and Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor sees all traces of his public presence in the Falklands disappear. At Mount Pleasant, the airport he inaugurated in 1985 to cheers from the crowd, the plaque he unveiled has been removed. A dedication to him has also been removed from the Infant Junior School in Stanley. ‘He is no longer associated with our school,’ an official told the Mirror.

Once celebrated as a British hero for his bravery during the Falklands War, Andrew is now seeing plaques, tributes and patronages disappear. In 1982, as a Sea King helicopter pilot, he was welcomed home as a hero after acting as a decoy to divert Argentine Exocet missiles, a risky mission he was still proud of until a few years ago.

The removals follow the latest revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Honorary president of several local wildlife conservation institutions, he has also seen these dedications cancelled, including the plaque at the New Island research centre. Already in 2022, after the financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault, Andrew’s name had been removed from the islands’ Kemh hospital.

Local MP John Birmingham explained at the time: “Renovations are underway and, as the prince is retiring from public life, the plaque bearing his name will be returned to the Falkland Islands Museum”.

In addition to the loss of his royal titles, the former Duke of York faces other difficulties: imminent eviction from Royal Lodge, the possible loss of custody of Queen Elizabeth’s dogs, and the departure of his ex-wife Sara, his roommate until yesterday, who may move to Portugal. Andrew’s loneliness, as he is expected to move to Sandringham, is becoming increasingly apparent. A photograph published by the Daily Mail shows him riding a horse in the grounds of Windsor Castle, his gaze downcast and autumn leaves on the ground, symbolising the former prince’s isolation.

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