Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Andrew was the first child born to a reigning British monarch since Princess Beatrice in 1857.

As with his siblings, Charles, Anne, and Edward, Andrew was looked after by a governess, who was responsible for his early education at Buckingham Palace.

He was sent to Heatherdown School near Ascot in Berkshire.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family.

He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a younger brother of King Charles III.

Andrew was born second in the line of succession to the British throne and is now eighth, and the first person in the line who is not a descendant of the reigning monarch.

Andrew served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot and instructor and as the captain of a warship.

During the Falklands War, he flew on multiple missions including anti-surface warfare, casualty evacuation, and Exocet missile decoy.

Andrew was born in the Belgian Suite of Buckingham Palace on 19 February 1960 at 3:30 p.m., the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

He was baptised in the palace's Music Room on 8 April 1960.

In September 1973, he entered Gordonstoun, in northern Scotland, which his father and elder brother had also attended.

He was nicknamed "the Sniggerer" by his schoolmates at Gordonstoun, because of "his penchant for off-colour jokes, at which he laughed inordinately".

While there, he spent six months—from January to June 1977—participating in an exchange programme to Lakefield College School in Canada.

He left Gordonstoun in July two years later with A-levels in English, history, and economics.

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

In December, he underwent various sporting tests and examinations at the Aircrew Selection Centre, at RAF Biggin Hill, along with further tests and interviews at HMS Daedalus, and interviews at the Admiralty Interview Board, HMS Sultan (shore establishment).

During March and April 1979, he was enrolled at the Royal Naval College Flight, undergoing pilot training, until he was accepted as a trainee helicopter pilot and signed on for 12 years from 11 May 1979.

On 1 September of the same year, Andrew was appointed as a midshipman, and entered Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

During 1979 he also completed the Royal Marines All Arms Commando Course for which he received his Green Beret.

He was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1981 and appointed to the Trained Strength on 22 October.

After passing out from Dartmouth, Andrew went on to elementary flying training with the Royal Air Force at RAF Leeming, and later, basic flying training with the navy at HMS Seahawk, where he learned to fly the Gazelle helicopter.

After being awarded his wings, he moved onto more advanced training on the Sea King helicopter, and conducted operational flying training until 1982.

He joined carrier-based squadron, 820 Naval Air Squadron, serving aboard the aircraft carrier, HMS Invincible (R05).

On 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory claimed by it, leading to the Falklands War.

Invincible was one of the two operational aircraft carriers available at the time, and, as such, was to play a major role in the Royal Navy task force assembled to sail south to retake the islands.

Andrew's place on board and the possibility of the Queen's son being killed in action made the British government apprehensive, and the cabinet desired that Prince Andrew be moved to a desk job for the duration of the conflict.

The Queen, though, insisted that her son be allowed to remain with his ship.

Prince Andrew remained on board Invincible to serve as a Sea King helicopter co-pilot, flying on missions that included anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, Exocet missile decoy, casualty evacuation, transport, and search and air rescue.

He witnessed the Argentinian attack on the SS Atlantic Conveyor.

At the end of the war, Invincible returned to Portsmouth, where Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip joined other families of the crew in welcoming the vessel home.

In 1986, he married Sarah Ferguson and was made Duke of York.

They have two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Their marriage, separation in 1992, and divorce in 1996 attracted extensive media coverage.

As Duke of York, Andrew undertook official duties and engagements on behalf of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

He served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment for 10 years until July 2011.

In 2014, Virginia Giuffre alleged that, as a 17-year-old, she was sex trafficked to Andrew by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew denied any wrongdoing.

Following criticism for his association with Epstein, Andrew resigned from public roles in May 2020, and his honorary military affiliations and royal charitable patronages were removed by the Queen in January 2022.

He was the defendant in a civil lawsuit over sexual assault filed by Giuffre in New York State.

The lawsuit was settled out of court in February 2022; in the settlement, Andrew paid an undisclosed sum to Giuffre.