When the late Queen Elizabeth II turned her mind to marking two milestone birthdays in 2020, she reportedly intended to bestow on them both a significant naval honour.
Her second son, the Duke of York, was due to turn 60 in February, and her son-in-law, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, would reach 65 in March. According to royal sources, both men were to be promoted to the rank of Admiral in honour of their decades of service – Prince Andrew as a career Royal Navy officer who saw active duty in the Falklands War, and Sir Tim as a long-serving naval officer and consort to the Princess Royal.
But the fallout from Prince Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview in late 2019, and his longstanding friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saw plans for the promotions quietly shelved. Buckingham Palace declined to confirm the appointments at the time, and amid public outcry, Prince Andrew’s advancement was indefinitely postponed.
Now, five years on, the Duke’s promotion remains in limbo. But so too, it appears, does that of Sir Tim.
While Sir Tim retains the rank of Vice Admiral – to which he was promoted in 2007 – there has been no word on whether he is one day expected to receive the promotion to full Admiral, despite his continued public service and low-profile loyalty to the monarchy. With Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022, the matter now falls under the compass of King Charles III.
Sir Tim, who is now 70-years-old, joined the Royal Navy in 1973 after graduating from University College, Durham. Over a 34-year career, he rose through the ranks and held a number of senior engineering and staff roles, including serving as Military Assistant to the Secretary of State for Defence. In 1986, he was appointed Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II — a role that first brought him into close proximity with the Royal Family. He married the Princess Royal in 1992.
Though he retired from active naval service in 2010, Sir Tim has remained a regular fixture at royal events and state occasions, often appearing alongside Princess Anne at engagements in the UK and abroad.
It was widely expected within naval and royal circles that, in line with tradition and precedent, Sir Tim would be granted the honorary rank of Admiral upon reaching the age of 65 — much as Prince Andrew had been expected to receive the same on his 60th birthday.
However, the Queen’s plans to mark both birthdays with naval promotions were overtaken by events following the Duke of York’s public fall from grace. Sources at the time suggested that proceeding with Sir Tim’s promotion while postponing Prince Andrew’s would have created uncomfortable comparisons and risked drawing attention to the scandal – something the Palace was eager to avoid.
This week, the question of Sir Tim’s status was thrown into fresh relief after Queen Camilla was appointed Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom – the first woman to hold the ceremonial title. The honour was conferred upon her during a ceremony at HMNB Devonport, recognising her role as Sponsor of HMS Astute and her broader support for the Armed Forces.
Camilla’s appointment, though purely honorary, highlights the continued evolution of royal patronage within the military – and raises renewed questions over whether Sir Tim will ever receive the long-anticipated nod to Admiral.
Whether King Charles chooses to one day grant Sir Tim’s promotion – or allow this particular honour to quietly drift into history – remains to be seen.
