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The Royal Navy has sacked a decorated submarine captain who once met royalty, allegedly for sending an X-rated video to a junior sailor with whom he had an inappropriate relationship.
The unnamed captain commanded one of the four Vanguard-class submarines, whose Trident II missiles make up the UK nuclear deterrent, according to The Sun.
“Anyone who is found culpable will be held accountable for their actions, regardless of their rank or status,” a Royal Navy spokesperson told the tabloid over the weekend, adding that “anything which falls short of the highest standards will not be tolerated.”
According to The Sun’s sources, the captain was one of the youngest officers to command an attack submarine before qualifying for command of an atomic missile boat. He had met Princess Anne – sister of King Charles – and received the Order of the British Empire for top-secret work.
Several members of the submarine’s crew have reportedly testified that the captain and a junior sailor engaged in an illicit sexual relationship while on deployment. They accused the captain of sending graphic selfies to his partner, as well as making a video of one of their sexual encounters and sending it to the sailor. It was not made clear whether the crew member was male or female.
The unnamed captain was reassigned to desk duty at first, but was eventually discharged from the navy after the admirals saw the X-rated recording.
The Royal Navy first introduced women into the ‘silent service’ in mid-2014. By 2017, the captain and first officer of HMS Vigilant faced charges of having affairs with two junior female officers.
Britain’s submarine service has struggled in recent years to find crew members and even commanders. Following the retirement of submarine director Rear Admiral Simon Asquith last year, the Royal Navy was reduced to posting job ads on LinkedIn, as no one currently serving was suitable to replace him.
Last November, The Sun reported that one of the Vanguard-class subs almost reached crushing depth when one of its instruments malfunctioned, coming perilously close to killing all 140 people aboard.
The four missile boats – Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant, and Vengeance – were built from 1986 to 1999, as part of the Trident II program. At one point last year, only two were considered operational, with one other undergoing upgrades and another in sea trials after repairs.