Confusion over King Charles’ baffling Prince Andrew decision

Fresh details about a very unexpected decision concerning the disgraced Duke of York have raised plenty of eyebrows following the coronation.

Prince Andrew at Westminster Abbey after the coronation. Picture: Odd Andersen/AFP

King Charles’ decision to allow his disgraced brother, Prince Andrew, to wear his ceremonial robes to his coronation has been met with confusion and concern.

The Duke of York arrived at Westminster Abbey for the historic occasion on Saturday dressed in the lavish garb of the Order of the Garter, to which he belongs.

The unexpected feature of the high-profile royal event came despite the fact that Andrew played no official role in the ceremony and has been retired from public duties since 2020.

It also marks a very significant change in the monarch’s policy in regards to the duke, given that last June, he was banned from appearing alongside senior members of the royal family at the Order of the Garter ceremony after a last-minute intervention by Charles and Prince William, who feared a “backlash”.

Andrew’s coronation outfit was unexpected. Picture: Andrew Matthews - WPA Pool/Getty Images

According to the UK’s Times, the now-King and his son reportedly lobbied the late Queen to bar Andrew from appearing in public at the event, with William understood to have said he’d feel “uncomfortable” taking part in the ceremony alongside him.

The Queen reportedly made the call to Andrew “reluctantly”, but it came so late that the order of service had already been printed with the Duke of York’s inclusion.

The Times also reports that Charles and Andrew have held “a series of private meetings” in recent months to discuss the younger royal’s future.

Given that he was booed by crowds in the grandstand as he was driven down The Mall ahead of the coronation service today, any indication that the royal family was softening its stance would likely not go down well with the public.

When it came to the actual ceremony, Andrew was a mere spectator, sitting in the same row as fellow non-working royal, Prince Harry – who appeared wearing a suit, despite being entitled to wear a blue Mantle as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

Harry wore a Dior suit with his medals. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The coronation was a designated “Collar Day”, meaning that royal family members were allowed to wear the elaborate regalia and collar signifying their positions.

Just weeks before Saturday’s coronation, it was widely reported that non-working royals Andrew and Harry had been requested not to wear ceremonial robes to the event.

Shortly before the event, Buckingham Palace circulated the names of nine senior royals who would be wearing ceremonial robes – including the late Queen’s other children – with Andrew not mentioned on the list.

The UK’s Mirror also reported that the Palace confirmed only a fortnight ago that he would not be in Garter robes.

The decision to allow him to wear them after all followed reports last month that Andrew had been left “furious” about being left “completely in the dark” over his dress code and expected role at the coronation.

The Duke of York stepped down from public life after his catastrophic Newsnight interview in late 2019 and the backlash over his friendship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

His late mother later stripped him of all his honorary military roles, and he had to give up his HRH style.

In early 2022, he paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.

Originally published as Confusion over King Charles’ baffling Prince Andrew decision