Early Life and Education of Prince Andrew, Duke of York: A Complete Timeline

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Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Prince Andrew, Duke of York. From birth to education, explore key events.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is a member of the British royal family, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Once second in line to the throne, he is now eighth. He served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot and during the Falklands War. His reputation has been significantly tarnished due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault made by Virginia Giuffre. He was stripped of his honorary military titles and royal patronages in January 2022 and settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre out of court, though he has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

February 1960: Prince Andrew's birth at Buckingham Palace

In February 1960, Prince Andrew was born in the Belgian Suite of Buckingham Palace at 15:30 (GMT), as the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Others born on this day/year

February 1960: Prince Andrew's Birth

In February 1960, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was born. He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Others born on this day/year

April 1960: Baptism in the Music Room

In April 1960, Prince Andrew was baptised in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace.

September 1973: Entrance to Gordonstoun

In September 1973, Andrew entered Gordonstoun School in northern Scotland, following in the footsteps of his father and elder brother.

June 1977: End of Exchange Programme

In June 1977, Prince Andrew finished a six-month exchange programme at Lakefield College School in Canada, which began in January.

November 1978: Announcement of joining Royal Navy

In November 1978, The Royal Household announced that Andrew would join the Royal Navy the following year.

April 1979: Pilot training at the Royal Naval College Flight

During March and April 1979, Prince Andrew was enrolled at the Royal Naval College Flight, undergoing pilot training.

May 1979: Accepted as trainee helicopter pilot

In May 1979, Prince Andrew was accepted as a trainee helicopter pilot and signed on for 12 years.

February 1981: Meeting Koo Stark

In February 1981, Prince Andrew met the American photographer and actress Koo Stark before his active service in the Falklands War.

April 1982: Invasion of the Falkland Islands

On April 2, 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, leading to the Falklands War, in which HMS Invincible played a major role.

July 1982: Alleged Assassination Plan

In July 1982, the Argentine military government reportedly planned, but did not attempt, to assassinate Prince Andrew on Mustique.

October 1982: Holiday with Koo Stark on Mustique

In October 1982, Prince Andrew and Koo Stark took a holiday together on the island of Mustique.

1983: Split with Koo Stark

In 1983, Prince Andrew and Koo Stark split up due to pressure from the press, paparazzi, and palace.

1983: Transfer to RNAS Portland

In late 1983, Prince Andrew transferred to RNAS Portland for training on the Lynx helicopter.

1985: Reacquaintance with Sarah Ferguson

In 1985, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson became reacquainted with each other at Royal Ascot.

July 1986: Marriage to Sarah Ferguson and Dukedom Creation

On 23 July 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey and was created Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh by Queen Elizabeth II on the same day.

July 1986: Granting of Dukedom of York

On 23 July 1986, Prince Andrew was granted the Dukedom of York, the Earldom of Inverness, and the Barony of Killyleagh, and assumed the style "His Royal Highness The Duke of York".

October 1986: Transfer to General List and Instructor's Course

On October 23, 1986, Prince Andrew transferred to the General List and enrolled in a helicopter warfare instructor's course at RNAS Yeovilton.

1986: Marriage to Sarah Ferguson and Dukedom

In 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson and was created Duke of York.

1990: Construction of Sunninghill Park

In 1990, Sunninghill Park was built near Windsor Great Park for Andrew and Sarah.

July 1991: Passed the squadron command examination

On 16 July 1991, Prince Andrew passed the squadron command examination.

March 1992: Passed the ship command examination

On 12 March 1992, Prince Andrew passed the ship command examination.

March 1992: Announcement of Separation

On 19 March 1992, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson announced their plans to separate.

1992: Separation from Sarah Ferguson

In 1992, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson separated, attracting significant media attention.

May 1996: Divorce from Sarah Ferguson

On 30 May 1996, the marriage between Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson ended in divorce.

1996: Divorce from Sarah Ferguson

In 1996, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson officially divorced.

1996: Bitten by Norfolk Terrier

In 1996, Prince Andrew's maid, Charlotte Briggs, recalled being bitten by his Norfolk Terrier, and that Andrew only laughed and "wasn't bothered".

1997: Godfather to Koo Stark's Daughter

In 1997, Prince Andrew became godfather to Koo Stark's daughter.

1999: Picture at Balmoral

Around 1999, a picture of Epstein and Maxwell, sitting at a cabin on the Queen's Balmoral estate, at the invitation of Andrew, was shown to the jury to establish their status as partners.

1999: Relationship with Lady Victoria Hervey

In 1999, Prince Andrew was briefly in a relationship with Lady Victoria Hervey.

2003: Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews

Between 2003 and 2004, Andrew was captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews during the club's 250th anniversary season.

April 2004: Flight expenses

In the twelve-month period up to April 2004, the Duke of York spent £325,000 on flights.

2004: Andrew Moves to Royal Lodge

In 2004, Andrew moved to the Royal Lodge.

2007: Sarah Moves to Dolphin House

In 2007, Sarah moved into Dolphin House in Englefield Green.

May 2008: Attendance at goose-hunt in Kazakhstan

In May 2008, Prince Andrew attended a goose-hunt in Kazakhstan with President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

July 2008: Reported expenses

In July 2008, The Sunday Times reported that Prince Andrew received £436,000 to cover his expenses for his public role in the previous year.

2008: Prince Andrew's Remarks on Co-Parenting

In 2008, Prince Andrew spoke fondly of his former wife and their co-parenting efforts.

2008: Sarah Moves back to Royal Lodge

In 2008, a fire at Dolphin House resulted in Sarah moving back into the Royal Lodge, again sharing a house with Andrew.

December 2010: Andrew Photographed with Epstein in Central Park

In December 2010, Andrew was photographed strolling with Jeffrey Epstein in Central Park during a visit to New York City.

July 2011: Sarah Ferguson's Debt Clearance

In July 2011, Sarah Ferguson stated that her multi-million pound debts had been cleared due to Prince Andrew's intervention.

September 2012: Andrew Abseils Down The Shard for Charity

On 3 September 2012, Prince Andrew was among a team of 40 people who abseiled down The Shard to raise money for educational charities the Outward Bound Trust and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund.

2012: Interest in Women's Interlink Foundation

In 2012, while touring India as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Prince Andrew became interested in the Women's Interlink Foundation (WIF), a charity supporting women's skills development. He and his family later started Key to Freedom, a project aimed at marketing products made by WIF.

2013: Establishment of Urramoor Ltd

In 2013, Urramoor Ltd was established and owned by the Urramoor Trust, which was set up in 2019 by Andrew's private office.

2013: Andrew Becomes Patron of Universities

In 2013, it was announced that Prince Andrew was becoming the patron of London Metropolitan University and the University of Huddersfield.

2014: Purchase of skiing chalet

In 2014, Prince Andrew bought a skiing chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, for £13 million jointly with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.

2014: Andrew Promotes British Science at CERN

In 2014, Prince Andrew visited Geneva, Switzerland, to promote British science at CERN's 60th anniversary celebrations.

July 2015: Andrew Installed as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield

In July 2015, Prince Andrew was installed as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.

2015: Koo Stark's Defence

In 2015, Koo Stark came to Prince Andrew's defence when he was facing accusations over his connection to Jeffrey Epstein.

May 2018: Visit to China and opening of Pitch@Palace China Bootcamp 2.0

In May 2018, Prince Andrew visited China and inaugurated the Pitch@Palace China Bootcamp 2.0 at Peking University, expanding the entrepreneurial initiative internationally.

May 2018: Andrew Elected to Honorary Fellowship at Hughes Hall

On 1 May 2018, Prince Andrew was elected to an Honorary Fellowship at Hughes Hall in the University of Cambridge.

November 2019: Andrew Relinquishes Role as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield

In November 2019, Prince Andrew relinquished his role as chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.

November 2019: Andrew Suspends Public Duties

On 20 November 2019, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Andrew was suspending his public duties "for the foreseeable future". On 24 November, the palace confirmed that Andrew was to step down from all 230 of his patronages.

2019: Establishment of the Urramoor Trust

In 2019, several months after Andrew's controversial Newsnight interview, his private office established the Urramoor Trust, which owned both Lincelles Unlimited (established 2020) and Urramoor Ltd (established 2013).

January 2020: Security Downgrade and Cooperation Controversy

In January 2020, the Home Office recommended "a major downgrade of security" for Prince Andrew. Also in January 2020, US Attorney Geoffrey Berman stated that Prince Andrew had provided "zero co-operation" with federal prosecutors and the FBI regarding the ongoing investigations.

March 2020: Andrew Hires Crisis-Management Expert

In March 2020, Prince Andrew hired crisis-management expert Mark Gallagher to assist him in managing the fallout from the allegations against him.

April 2020: Duke of York Young Champions Trophy Discontinued

In April 2020, it was reported that the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy would not be played anymore, after all activities carried out by the Prince Andrew Charitable Trust were stopped.

May 2020: Andrew Permanently Resigns from Public Roles

In May 2020, it was announced that Prince Andrew would permanently resign from all public roles over his Epstein ties.

May 2020: Legal dispute over mortgage

In May 2020, it was reported that Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were in a legal dispute over the mortgage on their skiing chalet in Verbier. A spokesperson for Andrew confirmed that the Queen would not be settling the debt.

August 2020: Anti-Child Trafficking Protest at Buckingham Palace

In August 2020, anti-child trafficking protesters referencing Prince Andrew gathered outside Buckingham Palace, and videos of the protest went viral.

2020: Establishment of Lincelles Unlimited

In 2020, Lincelles Unlimited was established and owned by the Urramoor Trust, which was set up in 2019 by Andrew's private office.

September 2021: Legal agreement to sell chalet

In September 2021, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson reached a legal agreement to sell their chalet in Verbier. The previous owner accepted £3.4 million, half the amount owed, due to the impression that Andrew and Sarah were experiencing financial difficulties. Funds from the sale were intended to cover Andrew's legal expenses.

2021: Trespassing Incidents at Windsor Property

In early 2021, there were at least two trespassing incidents reported at Prince Andrew's Windsor property.

January 2022: Andrew's Social Media Accounts Deleted and Titles Removed

In January 2022, Prince Andrew's social media accounts were deleted, his page on the royal family's website was rewritten in the past tense, and his military affiliations and patronages were removed. He also stopped using the style His Royal Highness (HRH). York Racecourse announced it would rename the Duke of York Stakes, and Prince Andrew High School in Nova Scotia stated that it would have a new name at the next academic year.

January 2022: Restriction on using HRH style in public capacity

In January 2022, it was reported that while Prince Andrew retains the style of His Royal Highness, he would no longer use it in a public capacity.

February 2022: Union Flag Not Flown for Andrew's Birthday

In February 2022, Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Assembly decided not to fly a union flag for Prince Andrew's birthday. The Mid and East Antrim Borough Council announced that they would hold a debate in June 2022 regarding a motion to rename Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus.

February 2022: Publication of Photograph

In February 2022, The Daily Telegraph published a photograph of Andrew along with Maxwell giving a tour of Buckingham Palace to Andrew's guests Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey.

March 2022: Andrew Attends Memorial Service for Father

In March 2022, Prince Andrew made his first official appearance in months, helping the Queen to walk into Westminster Abbey for a memorial service for his father, the Duke of Edinburgh.

April 2022: York City Council Removes Andrew's Freedom of the City

On 27 April 2022, York City Council unanimously voted to remove Prince Andrew's Freedom of the City.

June 2022: Andrew Excluded from Public Garter Day Procession

In June 2022, Prince Andrew took part in private aspects of the Garter Day ceremony, but was excluded from the public procession following an intervention by his brother Charles and his nephew William.

June 2022: Maskell Introduces 'Removal of Titles' Bill

In June 2022, Rachael Maskell introduced a 'Removal of Titles' private members bill in the House of Commons. The bill would have enabled people considered unworthy to be stripped of aristocratic titles.

June 2022: Freezing of chalet due to debt

In June 2022, a Swiss newspaper reported that Prince Andrew's chalet had been frozen because of a £1.6 million debt he owed to unnamed people.

June 2022: Andrew tests positive for COVID-19

On 2 June 2022, Andrew tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the announcement that he would not attend the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on 3 June.

September 2022: Andrew's position in line of succession

As of September 2022, Prince Andrew is eighth in the line of succession to the British throne.

September 2022: Andrew Appears at Ceremonial Events Following Queen's Death

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, Prince Andrew appeared in civilian clothing at various ceremonial events. He wore military uniform for a 15-minute vigil by the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall on 16 September.

October 2022: Andrew No Longer Receives Government Funding

In October 2022, it was reported that Prince Andrew no longer received any government funding.

November 2022: Andrew Set to Lose Police Protection

In November 2022, it was reported that Prince Andrew was set to lose his police protection.

December 2022: Andrew Complains About Security Situation

In December 2022, The Telegraph reported that Prince Andrew had written to the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police to complain about his security situation.

2022: Lincelles Unlimited wound up

In 2022, Lincelles Unlimited, established in 2020 and owned by the Urramoor Trust, was voluntarily wound up.

January 2023: Andrew Loses Access to Buckingham Palace Suite

In January 2023, it was reported that Prince Andrew could no longer use his suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace.

March 2023: Offer of Frogmore Cottage

In March 2023, Andrew was offered Frogmore Cottage after Prince Harry was asked to vacate the residence. This occurred amid reports that Andrew could no longer afford the Royal Lodge's running costs due to losing his annual grant.

April 2023: Cut to annuity

In April 2023, The Duke of York's £249,000 annuity from the Queen was cut.

April 2024: Andrew and Sarah Cohabitating

As of April 2024, Andrew and Sarah are still cohabiting at the Royal Lodge.

August 2024: King to Withdraw Funds for Andrew's Security

In August 2024, The Telegraph reported that the King would be withdrawing funds for Prince Andrew's security by the end of October, requiring him to pay for future security operations at his Royal Lodge home.