The Duke of York

Naval Career

The Duke of York joined the Royal Navy in 1979 on a short service commission, as a Seaman Officer specialising as a pilot.

He entered Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, where he took the full range of initial professional training and concurrently undertook the Royal Marine ‘Green Beret’ course with the Young Officer’s batch of 1979 at the Commando Training Centre, Lympstone.

He was awarded his Green Beret the week before he passed out of Dartmouth in front of The Queen at the Lord High Admiral’s Divisions. After passing out of Dartmouth, Prince Andrew went on to elementary flying training with the Royal Air Force at RAF Leeming, Yorkshire, where he learnt to fly the Bulldog.

Subsequently, he went through basic flying training with the Royal Navy at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose, Cornwall, where he learnt to fly the Gazelle helicopter. He received his Wings from The Duke of Edinburgh in April 1981, as well as winning the award for the best pilot. After converting onto the Sea King helicopter and conducting operational flying training, he joined his first front-line unit 820 Naval Air Squadron before embarking in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Carrier HMS Invincible.

Only six months later, Prince Andrew was to see active service. Along with his squadron, he sailed on Invincible as part of the Task Force that sailed to the South Atlantic to regain the Falkland Islands.

Throughout the conflict he flew on various missions, including Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface Warfare search (ASUW). He also helped in casualty evacuation, transport and Search and Air Rescue (SAR).

After completing his first front line tour in July 1983, Prince Andrew was appointed to 702 NAS at RNAS Portland in September to convert on to the Lynx helicopter. On promotion to Lieutenant in February 1984, The Queen appointed him a Personal Aide-de-Camp. In May of that year, on completion of his conversion training, he joined 815 NAS as the Flight Pilot in the Type 22 Frigate HMS Brazen, where he served until March 1986.

The Lieutenant’s Greenwich Course and Helicopter Warfare Instructors (HWI) Course continued the Prince’s professional training, and he returned to 702 NAS early in 1987 as a staff Helicopter Warfare Instructor.

In May 1988, having been selected for transfer to the General List for officers, he joined the Type 42 Destroyer HMS Edinburgh as an Officer of the Watch to earn his Watchkeeping and Ocean Navigation Certificates, a pre-requisite for a General List officer.

After the year’s seagoing appointment that included a Far East and Australia deployment he was awarded his Certificates, and returned once again to RNAS Portland to form HMS Campbeltown Flight. He joined 829 NAS in September 1989 and served as Flight Commander until the autumn of 1991.

On completion of the Staff Course he was selected to command the Hunt Class Minehunter HMS Cottesmore from April 1993 until November 1994. Thereafter, The Duke of York returned to flying duties with a refresher course in 702 NAS before taking up the appointment as Senior Pilot 815 NAS at RNAS Portland, where he served until October 1996.

The Duke of York was appointed to join the Ministry of Defence, London, in January 1997; as a staff officer in the Directorate of Naval Operations with specific responsibility for Frigate and Destroyer aviation. In January 1999, the Royal Navy announced that he was to be promoted to Commander and take up an appointment within the Diplomacy Section of the Naval Staff.

In December 2000 it was announced that The Duke of York would conclude this appointment in April 2001, before he formally left the Royal Navy at the end of July 2001.

In July 2005 His Royal Highness was promoted to Honorary Captain in the Royal Navy, and was appointed Commodore in Chief of the Fleet Air Arm in 2006.