First public appearance after the scandal
At Philip’s memorial service: Prince Andrew disappointed Prince Charles and Prince William
Although Prince Andrew had to cross the aisle once, he still sat in the front row at the memorial service for Prince Philip
© Dominic Lipinski / Picture Alliance
Prince Andrew is said to have always been Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son. This was also evident at the memorial service for Prince Philip. Prince Charles and Prince William are said to have been very disappointed.
It was his first public appearance after Prince Andrew paid a million-dollar settlement to Virginia Roberts, who accused him of sexual abuse as a teenager. Prince Andrew was expected to attend the memorial service in his father’s honor on Tuesday. However, hardly anyone suspected this present role of the prince. Neither did his brother Prince Charles and his nephew Prince William.
When the Queen drove to Westminster Abbey, it was surprising that the scandal prince was sitting in the car next to his mother, the Queen. You could still think it was some kind of carpool, they both live on the grounds of Windsor Castle. But when they got to the chapel and got out of the car, Prince Andrew escorted his mother into the church to her seat and also sat on the other side in the front row. With that, Queen Elizabeth II nonverbally took a clear position. Despite an abuse scandal that has severely damaged his image, her son is still part of the close family, even though the Duke of York has already given up his military ranks and royal patronage.
His mother, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, seems to have had a soft heart at this point. The memorial service was about her husband, Prince Philip, who died last year, and thus also about Prince Andrew’s father.
Prince William and Prince Charles had hoped for “common sense”.
The British newspaper “Daily Mail” reports that high-ranking royals “reluctantly” accepted that Prince Andrew would travel to London with the Queen. But they had hoped that “common sense” would prevail. They are also said to have thought that Prince Andrew would not attempt to star in his first public appearance since he reached the out-of-court settlement with Virginia Roberts. A family source told the magazine that a few “senior royals” – including Prince Charles and his son, the Duke of Cambridge – were “disappointed” by events and that Andrew’s decision to sit up front and be the center of attention , caused dismay.
Source: Daily Mail