Princess Anne ‘focused on duty’ as London officials moved to strip Andrew of titles

The patrol vessel has been deployed in the Indo-Pacific since 2021 and was alongside in Singapore for maintenance during the visit.

According to a report in The Times, the gathering on board Spey took place while the King and the Ministry of Defence were in the process of stripping Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his Princely title and Dukedom of York.

The paper said: "While the King and the Ministry of Defence were still in the process last week of stripping Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his last remaining title of vice-admiral, Anne, who holds several honorary naval titles, had tea and a catch-up with some of the ship’s 60 servicemen and women."

Anne, who is known as The Princess Royal and holds multiple honorary military roles across the services, was piped aboard HMS Spey as part of a programme focused on defence and remembrance.

She toured the ship, met crew on the bridge and was briefed on its operations in the region, underlining her long-standing association with the Royal Navy.

Her time on Spey formed just one element of a tightly packed schedule in Singapore. The Princess Royal travelled to the city-state directly from a four-day tour in Australia, beginning engagements there on November 12 as she and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, carried out duties on behalf of the King.

In her role as President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Anne led a service of remembrance at Kranji War Cemetery, laying a wreath in honour of British and Commonwealth troops who died in World War Two.

She also attended events highlighting trade and innovation and delivered a speech celebrating six decades of formal ties between Britain and Singapore, describing the relationship as an enduring partnership that she has witnessed develop over six visits to the country.

The Singapore trip unfolded against one of the most severe episodes of royal fallout in recent years.

On October 30, Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles III had begun a formal process to remove Andrew’s style, titles and honours.

Days later, Letters Patent were issued stripping him of the title of prince, the style of Royal Highness and the former Dukedom of York, leaving him to use the family surname Mountbatten-Windsor in official contexts.

The moves follow years of controversy over Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, which he denies.

Andrew previously settled a civil sexual assault case in the United States in 2022 without admitting liability.

Attention has now turned to his military status. Defence Secretary John Healey has confirmed that Andrew’s honorary rank of vice-admiral, awarded in 2015 on his 55th birthday, is being removed in coordination with the King.

It is the final honorary military title he held after earlier relinquishing other roles in 2022.

Despite the sweeping changes, Andrew will retain his South Atlantic Medal with rosette, earned for his active service as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War, after ministers indicated that earned decorations would be treated differently from honorary honours.

The contrast between the siblings’ situations was stark. As Andrew sees his public role effectively dismantled and faces renewed scrutiny over his past associations, Princess Anne continues to undertake intensive frontline duties, particularly with the armed forces and Commonwealth organisations.

Aides and observers have described her as a source of stability at a time of turbulence for the institution, pointing to her willingness to fly halfway around the world for a brief programme of remembrance and military engagements.