Andrew set to join royals for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee
Andrew won’t be given any official role to play at the jubilee and won’t appear in a carriage or on horseback at Trooping the Colour.
The Duke of York could still make an appearance at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, The Times understands.
Andrew, 62, took the key role of supporting the Queen down the aisle at the thanksgiving service to mark the life of the Duke of Edinburgh on Tuesday, only weeks after settling a civil sex abuse case in the US for up to $20 million.
He has been accused of “overshadowing” the poignant event at Westminster Abbey, although it is thought that it was done in accordance with the Queen’s wishes. Andrew will not be given any official role to play at the jubilee and will not, for instance, appear in a carriage or on horseback at Trooping the Colour.
However, it is believed his appearance at certain events – such as a service celebrating the Queen’s reign at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 3 – has not been ruled out.
While Andrew no longer carries out royal duties and has been stripped of all his royal patronages and military affiliations, “he is not ruled out from attending family events”, a royal source pointed out. The decision will ultimately be up to the Queen and her son.
Aides have warned against “drawing too many conclusions” from Andrew’s presence at the service for Philip. However, the extent of the duke’s involvement demonstrated that he has no qualms about being in the limelight, despite public opinion remaining firmly against him.
Plans for him to travel to the service with the Queen were made late on. The order of service given to guests stated that Andrew would be arriving with his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and their husbands.
He was expected to stay behind the Queen as she walked alongside the Dean of Westminster, instead of being at her side. With a little more than two months to go until the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, there is still time for other members of the royal family and aides to wield their influence over the presence of Andrew, who largely dominated the coverage of Tuesday’s service.
A source close to the duke previously suggested the service would mark his final public appearance and that it was “highly unlikely” he would appear at the flagship events to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. On Wednesday they declined to comment.
Friends of the duke have indicated he still feels he has something to offer, pointing to his various endeavours before stepping down as a working royal. However, he is expected to continue his low-profile at Windsor.
Wednesday marked another sombre day for the Queen as she privately marked the 20th anniversary of the death of her mother at Windsor Castle.
The Queen Mother died at the age of 101 on March 30, 2002 in her daughter’s Golden Jubilee year.
A tribute was posted on the royal family’s official social media pages, saying that she had “inspired great affection from the public which her daughter the Queen spoke of as, ‘the special place she occupied in the hearts of so many’.”
The Times
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