Stokes, one of the most iconic figures of his generation, told his team-mates of his decision before day four and his retirement was announced at 15:25 BST. It was immediately followed by him taking the wicket of Zak Foulkes with his next delivery.
After play Stokes, who said he will continue to play for Durham, said ending his international career was the “best thing” for him and denied the decision was made as a direct result of events across a tumultuous recent period.
Stokes missed the second Test after an incident in a London nightclub before being cleared to return as captain for the third Test at Trent Bridge.
The extraordinary proceedings of Sunday continued late in the day when Stokes made 30 after being promoted to open the batting and England reached 103-4 in chaotic fashion, leaving them still 269 short of the runs needed to avoid a series defeat.
This series was supposed to mark a reset following the 4-1 Ashes defeat, which was dogged by off-field issues and accusations of too loose an environment.
“I’ll be absolutely staggered if this leadership group is still together,” Vaughan said.
And looking forward to the next home Ashes series against Australia in 2027, he added: “That new leadership group might just get in their nice cars, drive up to Durham and say to Ben, ‘Ben, you’re playing great. Any chance of one last hurrah against Australia this summer?’
“I would not rule that out.”