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Prince Andrew the Duke of York accompanied his mother from Windsor Castle to Westminster Abbey for the memorial to the late Philip who died last April at the age of 99. Last year’s funeral was highly restricted due to Covid rules, with just 30 people allowed to attend. Today’s service saw 1,800 individuals pay their respects in person.
Disgraced Andrew Had Prominent Role
Prince Andrew was seen riding in the car with the 95-year-old monarch and walked her down the aisle before taking a seat next to her. Royal watchers claim the stunning move was her way of stating that he has a role at family occasions. While he may have a role, the absence of his ex-wife, whom he still lives with, may indicate that she does not have a role.
This month Andrew reportedly paid millions of dollars to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. The out-of-court settlement and the nature of the civil lawsuit led many to call Andrew a disgrace who has no place at royal functions.
What might William and Charles think of the queen’s very public display of support for her disgraced son? Royal expert Angela Levin told MailOnline, “They would have been very disappointed and uneasy about Andrew’s presence but they would have known that this was the Queen’s decision.”
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Disgraced Prince Andrew Had Prominent Role
She added, “I’m sure they were probably thinking something very different inside but Charles and William have always known that the Queen has a soft spot for Andrew and if she wants her favorite son with her, she would be entitled to do that.”
The monarchy is also a family and as Levin notes, “It was one of those moments when the Queen exercised her position both as a mother and the Queen. She obviously needed someone to help her on that small walk, but I noticed that when she got up to leave at the end of the service, Prince Charles got up too, as if to help her. But she ignored him and wanted Andrew to take her out instead. She turned to him, not Charles.”
The queen’s presence was up in the air until two hours beforehand. She has experienced health and mobility issues as of late and as such has canceled several royal engagements. But today she arrived at the Abbey at around 11.30 am and she held onto Andrew’s elbow with her left hand and carried a cane in her right hand.
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