Early Life and Education of Prince Andrew, Duke of York: A Complete Timeline
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 and the third child 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 instructor. Prince Andrew's reputation has been significantly damaged due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, leading to allegations of sexual assault, which he denies. As a result, he has been stripped of his military titles and royal patronages and has withdrawn from public duties.
July 1959: Queen Elizabeth II discovers she is pregnant with Andrew
During a 45-day tour of Canada in June and July 1959, Queen Elizabeth II discovered she was pregnant with Andrew. The pregnancy was not disclosed to the public during the tour.
February 1960: Prince Andrew's Birth
In February 1960, Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward was born. He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
February 1960: Prince Andrew's Birth at Buckingham Palace
On 19 February 1960, Andrew was born in the Belgian Suite at Buckingham Palace at 3:30 pm, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
April 1960: Baptism of Prince Andrew
In April 1960, Andrew was baptised in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace on the 8th.
September 1973: Enters Gordonstoun School
In September 1973, Andrew entered Gordonstoun School in Moray, following in the footsteps of his father and elder brother.
June 1977: Exchange Programme to Lakefield College School
From January to June 1977, Andrew spent six months participating in an exchange programme to Lakefield College School in Canada.
November 1978: Announcement of joining the Royal Navy
In November 1978, the Royal Household announced that Andrew would join the Royal Navy the following year.
April 1979: Pilot training at Royal Naval College Flight
During March and April 1979 Andrew was enrolled at the Royal Naval College Flight, undergoing pilot training.
May 1979: Accepted as trainee helicopter pilot
On 11 May 1979, Andrew was accepted as a trainee helicopter pilot and signed on for 12 years.
February 1981: Met Koo Stark
In February 1981, Andrew met the American photographer and actress Koo Stark, before his active service in the Falklands War.
September 1981: Commissioned as a sub-lieutenant
On 1 September 1981, Andrew was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant and appointed to the Trained Strength on 22 October.
July 1982: Alleged Assassination Plot
In July 1982, The Argentine military government reportedly planned, but did not attempt, to assassinate Andrew on Mustique.
October 1982: Holiday to Mustique with Koo Stark
In October 1982, Andrew and Koo Stark took a holiday together on the island of Mustique.
1982: Operational Flying Training
In 1982, after passing out from Dartmouth, Andrew went on to elementary flying training with the Royal Air Force, basic flying training with the navy at HMS Seahawk, advanced training on the Sea King helicopter, and conducted operational flying training until 1982. He joined 820 Naval Air Squadron, serving aboard HMS Invincible.
1983: Split from Koo Stark
In 1983 Andrew and Koo Stark split up under pressure from press, paparazzi and the palace.
1983: Transferred to RNAS Portland
In late 1983, Andrew transferred to RNAS Portland, and was trained to fly the Lynx helicopter.
1984: Paint incident with journalists
During his 1984 Southern California tour, Prince Andrew squirted paint onto American and British journalists and photographers. The Los Angeles Herald Examiner submitted a $1,200 bill for damages.
1985: Reacquainted with Sarah Ferguson
In 1985 Andrew and Sarah Ferguson became reacquainted with each other at Royal Ascot.
July 1986: Marriage to Sarah Ferguson and Creation as Duke of York
On 23 July 1986, Andrew married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey. On the same day, Elizabeth created him Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh.
1986: Marriage to Sarah Ferguson and Dukedom
In 1986, 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.
March 1992: Announcement of Separation from Sarah Ferguson
On 19 March 1992, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson announced plans to separate.
1992: Separation from Sarah Ferguson
In 1992, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson separated.
May 1996: Divorce from Sarah Ferguson
On 30 May 1996, The marriage between Andrew and Sarah Ferguson officially ended in divorce.
1996: Divorce from Sarah Ferguson
In 1996, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson divorced, which attracted extensive media coverage.
1996: Charlotte Briggs' account of treatment
In 1996, Prince Andrew's former maid, Charlotte Briggs, recalled setting up teddy bears on his bed and stated that when she was bitten by his Norfolk Terrier he only laughed. She also stated that he was reduced to tears by Andrew for not properly closing the heavy curtains in his office.
1997: Became godfather to Stark's daughter
In 1997 Andrew became godfather to Koo Stark's daughter.
1999: Relationship with Lady Victoria Hervey
In 1999 Andrew was briefly in a relationship with Lady Victoria Hervey.
2003: Report on the cost of Duke of York's trade missions
In 2003, the Duke of York's trade missions as special representative for UKTI cost £75,000.
April 2004: Report on the Duke of York's 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, leaving Sunninghill Park.
2007: Sarah Moves to Dolphin House
In 2007, Sarah moved into Dolphin House in Englefield Green, near the Royal Lodge.
May 2008: Goose-Hunt in Kazakhstan
In May 2008, Andrew attended a goose-hunt in Kazakhstan with President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
July 2008: Report on Duke of York's public role and expenses
In July 2008, The Sunday Times reported that for "the Duke of York's public role ... he last year received £436,000 to cover his expenses".
2008: Spoke fondly of his former wife
In 2008, The Duke of York spoke fondly of his former wife: "We have managed to work together to bring our children up in a way that few others have been able to and I am extremely grateful to be able to do that."
2008: Fire at Dolphin House and Return to Royal Lodge
In 2008, a fire at Dolphin House led to Sarah moving back into the Royal Lodge, sharing the house with Andrew again.
2009: Reported gift to Princess Beatrice from Tarek Kaituni
In 2009, Tarek Kaituni had reportedly given Princess Beatrice a £18,000 gold and diamond necklace for her 21st birthday.
May 2010: Sarah Ferguson filmed offering access to Andrew for money
In May 2010, Sarah Ferguson was filmed by a News of the World reporter saying Andrew had agreed that if she were to receive £500,000, he would meet the donor and pass on useful top-level business contacts. She was filmed receiving, in cash, US$40,000 as a down payment.
July 2011: Debts cleared by Andrew
In July 2011, Sarah stated that her multi-million pound debts had been cleared due to the intervention of her former husband, whom she compared to a "knight on a white charger".
September 2012: Abseiling Down The Shard
In September 2012, Andrew participated in a team of 40 people who abseiled down The Shard to raise money for the Outward Bound Trust and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund.
2012: Sarah Ferguson admits error of judgement
In 2012, Sarah admitted that she had made a "gigantic error of judgement" in allowing Jeffrey Epstein to pay off a debt for her, and apologised for accepting money from him. She did, however, continue to defend Andrew's controversial former friendship with Epstein.
2013: Criticism of Royal Society election
In 2013, Prince Andrew's election to the Royal Society prompted criticism from British scientists due to his lack of scientific background. David Colquhoun, a pharmacologist and Fellow of the Royal Society, questioned Andrew's qualifications.
2013: Establishment of Urramoor Ltd
In 2013, Urramoor Ltd was established and owned by the Urramoor Trust, which was later described as set up to support Prince Andrew's family.
2013: Becoming Patron of Universities
In 2013, it was announced that Andrew was becoming the patron of London Metropolitan University and the University of Huddersfield.
November 2014: Meetings with Ilham Aliyev
As of November 2014, Andrew had met Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, on 12 occasions, both during and after his tenure as the UK trade envoy.
2014: Purchase of Skiing Chalet
In 2014, Andrew jointly bought a skiing chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, for £13 million with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
2014: Promotion of British Science at CERN
In 2014, Andrew visited Geneva, Switzerland, to promote British science at CERN's 60th anniversary celebrations.
July 2015: Installation as Chancellor of University of Huddersfield
In July 2015, Andrew was installed as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.
2015: Stark defends Andrew
When Andrew was facing accusations in 2015 over his connection to Jeffrey Epstein, Koo Stark came to his defence.
2018: Tarek Kaituni invited to Princess Eugenie's wedding
In 2018, Tarek Kaituni, who introduced Prince Andrew to Selman Turk in June 2019, was invited to Princess Eugenie's wedding.
2019: Suspension of military affiliations
In 2019, Prince Andrew's military affiliations were suspended.
2019: Campaign to strip earldom of Inverness
In 2019, following Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, residents of Inverness started a campaign to strip him of the earldom of Inverness.
May 2020: Legal Dispute Over Mortgage
In May 2020, it was reported that Andrew and Sarah were in a legal dispute over the mortgage for their skiing chalet. The Queen would not be settling the debt.
2020: Establishment of Lincelles Unlimited
In 2020, Lincelles Unlimited was established and owned by the Urramoor Trust.
September 2021: Legal Agreement Reached for Chalet Sale
In September 2021, The Times reported that Andrew and Sarah reached a legal agreement to sell their Verbier chalet, with the previous owner receiving a reduced payment due to their perceived financial troubles. The money was to be used to pay for legal expenses.
January 2022: Removal of affiliations and patronages
In January 2022, Prince Andrew's social media accounts were deleted, his page on the royal family's website was rewritten, 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. Prince Andrew High School in Nova Scotia also stated that it would have a new name at the next academic year.
January 2022: Restricted use of HRH style
In January 2022, it was reported that Prince Andrew would no longer use the style of His Royal Highness in a public capacity, although he retained it and has used it in a private capacity.
January 2022: Military affiliations returned to the Queen
On 13 January 2022, Prince Andrew's military affiliations were formally returned to Queen Elizabeth II.
February 2022: Settlement of Sexual Assault Lawsuit
In February 2022, Andrew settled the civil lawsuit over sexual assault filed by Virginia Giuffre out of court, paying her an undisclosed sum.
February 2022: Flag flying controversy
In February 2022, Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Assembly decided not to fly a union flag for Prince Andrew's birthday. Also, the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council announced a debate in June 2022 regarding renaming Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus.
March 2022: Appearance at memorial service
In March 2022, Prince Andrew made his first official appearance in months, assisting the Queen at a memorial service for his father, the Duke of Edinburgh. This appearance drew mixed reactions, with some criticizing the message it sent to victims of sexual abuse.
April 2022: Removal of Freedom of the City
On 27 April 2022, York City Council unanimously voted to remove Prince Andrew's Freedom of the City. Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, noted this was unprecedented.
June 2022: Exclusion from public Garter Day procession
In June 2022, Prince Andrew participated in private aspects of the Garter Day ceremony but was excluded from the public procession due to interventions from Prince Charles and Prince William.
June 2022: Introduction of 'Removal of Titles' Bill
In June 2022, Rachael Maskell introduced a 'Removal of Titles' private members bill in the House of Commons. The bill aimed to allow the removal of aristocratic titles from those deemed unworthy, a process not currently possible without an act of Parliament.
June 2022: Chalet Frozen Due to Debt
In June 2022, it was reported in Le Temps that the chalet has been frozen because of a £1.6 million debt Andrew owes unnamed people, making a sale impossible without creditor agreement.
June 2022: Positive COVID-19 Test
On June 2, 2022, Andrew tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in his absence from the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on June 3.
September 2022: Appearance at ceremonial events following Queen Elizabeth II's death
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, Prince Andrew appeared in civilian clothing at various ceremonial events. On 12 September, during a funeral procession in Edinburgh, a heckler shouted abuse at Andrew and was arrested. On 16 September, Andrew wore military uniform for a vigil by the Queen's coffin at Westminster Hall.
September 2022: Eighth in line of succession
As of September 2022, Prince Andrew is eighth in the line of succession to the British throne.
October 2022: Loss of government funding
In October 2022, it was reported that Prince Andrew no longer received any government funding.
November 2022: Expected loss of police protection
In November 2022, reports indicated that Prince Andrew was set to lose his police protection as he was no longer expected to perform public duties.
December 2022: Complaint 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 the prospect of losing his police protection.
2022: Lincelles Unlimited voluntarily wound up
In 2022, Lincelles Unlimited was voluntarily wound up.
2022: Reports of behaviour towards servants
In 2022, reports emerged detailing Prince Andrew's alleged brusque treatment of servants. A former footman described being told to "fuck off", and former royal protection officer Paul Page claimed Andrew maintained a specific order for his collection of stuffed toys, reacting abusively if it was not followed.
2022: Renewed petition and calls to relinquish title
In 2022, there was a renewed petition in Inverness to strip Andrew of the earldom. Rachael Maskell stated she would look for ways to make Andrew give up his ducal title and the City of York Council voted to remove his honorary freedom of the city.
January 2023: King Charles III Allows Pursuit of Business Interests
In January 2023, it was reported that King Charles III had agreed to let Andrew pursue some business interests.
January 2023: Loss of suite at Buckingham Palace
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, amid reports that Andrew could no longer afford the running costs of the Royal Lodge.
April 2023: Queen's annuity to the Duke of York cut
In April 2023, the £249,000 annuity from the Queen to the Duke of York was cut.
April 2024: Cohabitation at Royal Lodge
As of April 2024, Andrew and Sarah are still cohabiting at the Royal Lodge.
August 2024: Withdrawal of funds for 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 at his Royal Lodge home.
October 2025: Andrew to stop using peerage titles
In October 2025, Andrew stated that he would no longer use his peerage titles or the honours bestowed upon him.
October 2025: Agreement to cease using peerages and honors
On 17 October 2025, following discussions with the King, Prince Andrew agreed to cease using his peerages and his honours, including his knighthoods as a Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter and a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
Mentioned in this timeline
Elizabeth II reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom and...
Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier and convicted sex offender...
Ghislaine Maxwell is a British former socialite convicted in of...
Bill Clinton the nd U S President - served as...
California is a U S state on the Pacific Coast...
Nova Scotia is a Canadian province on the east coast...
Trending
4 months ago Kristi Noem on FEMA Remake After Texas Floods; Unanswered Calls Revealed.
2 days ago Mark Walter Presents Lakers Bid with Dodgers Co-Owner Boehly Involvement to NBA
32 minutes ago Bublik Stuns Fritz at Paris Masters in a Standout 2025 Season Performance
2 hours ago Christian Kyrou Traded to Flyers for Samu Tuomaala in NHL Exchange
Accenture plc is a multinational professional services company headquartered in Dublin Ireland specializing in IT services and management consulting Founded...
18 days ago Smriti Mandhana Sets New Record Against Australia: Quickest to Achieve Milestone
Popular
Gavin Newsom is an American politician and businessman currently serving...
The White House located at Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington...
Doug Ford is a Canadian politician and businessman currently serving...
George Soros is a Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist with a...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
Candace Owens is an American political commentator and author known...