Topic: Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960), is the second son and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of his birth, he was second in the line of succession to the thrones of seven independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms; however, after the births of two children to his elder brother, and an evolution of the Commonwealth, Prince Andrew is currently fourth in line to the thrones of 16 countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. Consequently, he is also fourth in line to the position of Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

He also holds the actual rank of commander and the honorary rank of Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy, in which he served as an active duty helicopter pilot and later instructor in helicopter flight. He saw active service during the Falklands War, flying on multiple missions including anti-surface warfare, Exocet missile decoy and casualty evacuation. Prince Andrew and his nephew Prince Harry of Wales are the only two living members of the Royal House to have served under direct enemy fire.

In 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson; the couple's marriage, subsequent separation and eventual divorce attracted a high level of media coverage. As well as carrying out various royal duties, he served as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment until July 2011.