Platinum Jubilee: Prince Andrew tests positive for Covid-19

A key royal has tested positive to Covid just days after spending time in close contact with the Queen, as she pulls out of a major event.

The scandal-plagued Prince Andrew, whose role in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations was already as low key as possible, now won’t appear at all after he tested positive for Covid-19.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the Duke of York’s positive result on Thursday.

“After undertaking a routine test the Duke has tested positive for Covid and with regret will no longer be attending tomorrow’s service,” a spokesman for the palace said.

He last saw the Queen just days ago. That will be a concern as a positive test for the monarch could ruin the Jubilee.

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Prince Andrew, Duke of York takes his seat at Westminster Abbey for the service of thanksgiving for the Duke of Edinburgh on March 29, 2022. (Photo Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

On Friday, the Queen was set to join the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in central London., but pulled out at the last minute due to “discomfort”, a statement from the Palace revealed.

She would have been part of a large contingent including Prince Andrew, who has also pulled out, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who have jetted in from the US.

Prince Andrew was notably missing from the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Trooping of the Colour on Thursday which included the Queen, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and a host of minor royals.

His eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, was not on the balcony but was seen watching the Trooping of the Colour from a palace window.

Prince Andrew remains close to the Queen and was with her just days ago. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

Prince Andrew was missing from the balcony at Buckingham Palace for Thursday’s Trooping of the Colour. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Andrew was last seen horse riding, seemingly in fine health, on Wednesday close to Windsor Castle, according to Sky News UK.

It’s also understood that he saw the Queen in recent days. That could be a worry considering the full weekend of activities the Queen has planned and her frail health.

The BBC said that Andrew had undergone regular testing and had not seen the Queen since he tested positive.

The Queen’s second son has stepped away from his public role after he was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre who said she was introduced to the Prince by Jeffrey Epstein.

He denied the allegations and agreed to pay Ms Giuffre $A21 million.