The Queen ignores pleas from Princes Charles and William to snub son Andrew at Prince Philip’s memorial
The Queen dismissed warnings from Prince Charles and Prince William not to afford disgraced son, Andrew, a special role.
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The Queen dismissed warnings from Prince Charles and Prince William not to afford disgraced son, Andrew, a special role in the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service.
The 95-year-old told her heirs the “final decision” was hers, before walking alongside her middle son, according to The Mirror.
The future kings were united in their disapproval, according to The Mirror, and warned the Monarch of including Andrew multiple times.
The Queen’s heirs weren’t the only ones furious about the decisions, with other members of the Royal household also outraged, according to reports.
“There is definitely a hand being played,” a source told The Mirror.
“He (Andrew) was straight out the blocks in front of the cameras when the Duke of Edinburgh died, which was seen within the family as being completely inappropriate.
“Now this situation has unfolded, a fair few hold the view that he (Andrew) is manipulating his position for his own gains.
“The Duke of York’s reputation precedes him and he’s made no secret that he’s not ready to fade away into the background, as much as everyone may want him to.”
ROYAL WATCHERS SLAM PRINCE HARRY
Royal watchers have slammed Prince Harry for skipping his grandfather’s memorial service, labelling his absence as “shameful”, “pathetic” and “a big disappointment.”
The Duke of Sussex was the only senior royal to miss the ceremony, choosing instead to remain at his Californian mansion with his wife, Meghan.
Just two weeks ago, Prince Harry was in the Netherlands for the Invictus Games, but blamed a police protection dispute for his decision not to attend the service.
Royal fans have rejected his excuse, with one of Prince Philip’s former protection officers describing it as “pathetic.”
“All this nonsense about how he couldn’t get protection, as far as I’m concerned, was a pathetic excuse. He should’ve been here to honour his grandfather,” Richard Griffin, who spent 14 years guarding for the late Duke, told The Sun.
“At the end of the day, if he was that worried about security, he could’ve stuck with his brother and father, who have got wonderful security, and he would have been more than safe.”
Royal biographer Angela Levin said Prince Harry seemed like a “changed person”.
“He doesn’t seem to have any broader range to care about things unless they are things impacting him and Meghan.
“Many royals from abroad made the effort, yet Harry’s pathetic excuse is that he didn’t feel safe. The police would have had it completely covered. The royal children were all there, the heirs to the throne, so it just doesn’t make any sense that the protection wouldn’t be there,” she said.
California mum of four, Mindy Scheck, who extended her UK holiday to be outside the Abbey memorial, also expressed disgust at Prince Harry’s decision, and said if she could make the time to attend, surely Harry and Meghan could too.
“I feel bad for the Queen that she will be without her grandson on this day,” she told The Sun.
Prince Harry, who is suing the Home Office for removing his armed bodyguards when he quit royal duties, has claimed he’d feel unsafe returning to Britain from the US with his children.
His last visit to the UK was eight months ago, when he returned to unveil the statue of his late mother, Diana.
TEARFUL QUEEN AT MEMORIAL SERVICE
The Queen cried as she paid a heartbreaking farewell to her beloved husband Prince Philip during the poignant service honouring his life at Westminster Abbey.
Her Majesty, 95, appeared emotional as the Duke of Edinburgh was remembered following his death last April aged 99.
Earlier, the Queen raised eyebrows when she arrived arm-in-arm at the service with Prince Andrew in a defiant show of support for her disgraced son.
In a move that royal watchers believe may upset her son Prince Charles and grandson Prince William, Her Majesty chose to travel from Windsor Castle in the royal car with Prince Andrew for the Service of Thanksgiving.
Unlike other members of her family and guests, she arrived by a side entrance and used a walking stick as she was helped to her seat by her second son.
It was Prince Andrew’s first public appearance since settling a US civil claim for sexual assault with his Australian-based accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, and after public outrage at his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He sat in the front row alongside his younger brother, Prince Edward. His elder brother Prince Charles, sister Princess Anne, and the Queen sat opposite.
Fears had been growing that the Queen would be forced to pull out of the event after she missed a string of engagements due to increasing health and mobility issues.
The monarch, who turns 96 next month, has not attended a high-profile event outside her homes since she spent a night in hospital last October.
Ill health, including a bout of Covid, and difficulties walking and standing forced her to pull out of the Commonwealth Day service at the last minute on March 14.
Buckingham Palace only confirmed her attendance at Prince Philip’s memorial service around two hours before it was due to start at Westminster Abbey in central London.
Two noticeable absentees were Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. Harry, 37, who criticised his father Prince Charles and brother Prince William in an explosive television interview last year, and is currently battling the UK government in the courts over his security arrangements.
He stayed away from his grandfather’s service but has confirmed he will be at the Invictus Games for disabled veterans in the Netherlands in the coming weeks.
The Duke of Edinburgh, to whom the Queen was married for 73 years, died on April 9 last year, just a few weeks short of his 100th birthday, after treatment for a heart condition.
Coronavirus restrictions at the time meant long-rehearsed plans for his funeral were hastily revised, and just 30 mourners attended.
The sight of her alone at the service has become an enduring image of the pandemic.
Tuesday’s event in front of the 1800-strong congregation was a chance to include elements of the original plan, including sermons, prayers and music he chose himself.
Much of the focus was on the straight-talking former naval officer’s charity work, particularly his Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme for young people around the world.
The sight of royals and their foreign counterparts, dignitaries, a traditional Church of England service, plus crowds outside the abbey, gave the impression of a return to business as usual.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was “welcome to see Her Majesty out today, continuing her incredible decades of service to the country”.
But it has been an eventful year in the storied history of the royal family, with the growing sense of the end of an era.
A Service of Thanksgiving for HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will start at 11.30am (BST). Members of the Royal Family will attend along with senior military and government representatives; representatives of charities The Duke supported; and overseas royal families. pic.twitter.com/UsGlVwr62k
— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) March 29, 2022
Much of the focus has been on the Queen and her health since her unscheduled hospital stay was revealed, soon after she hosted world leaders at Windsor Castle and made a speech at the opening of the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff.
Doctors ordered her to rest and she cancelled a string of high-profile engagements, including hosting world leaders at the UN climate change summit in November.
She has held private audiences from her Windsor Castle home, mostly by video conference.
On February 5, she met some members of the public at her Sandringham estate in eastern England, a day before the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
She has complained of mobility issues, with reports she has been using a wheelchair – and even a golf buggy – in private.
Speculation has also been rife that she could soon spend more time at her Balmoral estate in Scotland, after claims that a stairlift has been installed.
With eyes increasingly on the succession, there have been clear signs future issues loom, when William toured Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas last week.
The visit was criticised for being a throwback to colonialism and afterwards William acknowledged calls for the British monarch to be replaced as head of state.
That has been seen as potentially fuelling similar movements in other Commonwealth countries, with Edward due to visit other Caribbean nations next month.
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