Give up your Forces titles, says hero Tim

IRAQ war hero Colonel Tim Collins has called on Prince Andrew to give up his military titles.

The ex-SAS officer said sordid sex allegations surrounding the royal and his links to Jeffrey Epstein and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell were “embarrassing for everyone” and that he should “jump before he is pushed”.

Col Collins is the first top military figure to comment publicly on the scandal. A serving senior officer is also believed to be planning to write to the Prince about the damage he is causing to the reputation of the Forces.

Col Collins, 61, met Prince

Andrew after commanding the Royal Irish

Regiment at the start of the Iraq

War in 2003.

The Prince is now Colonel-inChief of the regiment, among his nine military titles.

The Duke of York also hold titles with the Grenadier Guards, the 9/12th Lancers, the Yorkshire Regiment, the Small Arms School Corps, and the Royal Highland Fusiliers.

He is also Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Lossiemouth, Commodore-inChief of the Fleet Air Arm, and Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps.

Col Collins said: “It is entirely up to him what he decides to do. It’s going to be better for everybody if he jumped rather than was pushed.

“I don’t think he’ll ever ride the storm out. The damage has been done. Every person I know who advised him said do not do that BBC interview. He dug a bloody big hole with that.

“I think it’s a question of timing and I think he’ll decide to jump or some more senior members of the Royal Family will say you’ve got to go.” The Ministry of Defence and Buckingham Palace both declined to comment.