Named Andrew Albert Christian Edward, he was known as Prince Andrew until his marriage to Sarah Ferguson, when he was created The Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh.

Prince Andrew served for 22 years in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot, seeing active service during the Falklands Campaign of 1982.

Today, the Duke of York is the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. In this role, His Royal Highness is responsible for promoting the UK as an attractive business destination for inward investors, helping British business to improve its prospects in international markets, and improving opportunities for UK companies wishing to expand their export potential.

He also carries out Royal duties in support of The Queen and works for a large number of charities and other organisations. As well as these patronages, the Duke has roles in education. He is the Visitor at Royal Hospital School Holbrook (1992), the school that used to be housed in what is now the National Maritime Museum. He is the Patron of the Greenwich Hospital (1994), which owns the whole of the Greenwich buildings that were the Royal Naval College, The Dreadnought Hospital and the National Maritime Museum.

The Duke also maintains very close links with his own educational establishments as Patron of Round Square (1990) and Trustee of Lakefield College School (1978).

In December 2004, Prince Andrew visited the Limkokwing University Cyberjaya campus where he officially opened the British Design: Innovation and Application exhibition at Malaysia Design Innovation Centre (MDI).

“By coming to Limkokwing University, we hope to promote our expertise and, along the way, encourage Malaysians to be as good as, if not better than, us. We encourage the young in Malaysia to see the huge opportunities in design and other fields. The UK is one place they can find a friend in this area,” he had said then.

The two-month exhibition, organised by the British High Commission, highlighted British products and their design processes and showcases a total of 15 British companies. They were BP Malaysia, Land Rover (M) Sdn Bhd, Rolls Royce (aerospace), British Council, BT Global Services, Central Distribution & Agency Sdn Bhd, Dyson Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Flowcrete International, Hanson Quarry Products Sdn Bhd, Adminex Corporation Sdn Bhd /Oronmas Sdn Bhd, Fitch Designs, Synapse-Creative, Art Group, University of Portsmouth and University of Teesside.

Among other objectives, the exhibition was aimed at highlighting the key role of design in the global environment, and the many products and services that define it. In the UK, design is one of the most important creative industries with a large sector of experienced consulting firms active internationally.

Visitors to the exhibition saw a display of Range Rover and Freelander models and, in the aerospace sector, a display of the Rolls-Royce Trent Series Engine and the company’s design capabilities.

Also highlighted were creations by Fitch Designs, a London-based company specialising in designing retail environments and creating identities for organisations and for products; and Synapse-Creative that offers solutions in all areas of design.

Art Group, an art publisher offering products from some of the world’s best artists, displayed prints that range from digital canvas transfers to Limited Edition giclee prints, notecards and postcards.