How ‘defiant but isolated’ Prince Andrew was ‘shunned’ by royal family at Prince Philip’s memorial

‘Defiant but isolated’ Prince Andrew was ‘shunned by the royal family and didn’t interact warmly with them’ at Prince Philip’s memorial,  a body language expert has claimed.

The Duke of York, 62, accompanied the Queen, 95, to the Thanksgiving of Life service but had little interaction with the rest of his family today – avoiding receptions and driving straight back to Westminster with his mother after the service.

And while the Queen appeared to ‘looked unequivocal’ in her support of her second son, the rest of The Firm offered ‘no signs of support or encouragement’ and ‘pretended to not even see him’.

Speaking to FEMAIL, body language expert Judi James explained: ‘Andrew did not get the same sort of welcome [as the Queen gave him] from the other royals. 

‘Only his mother threw him anything bordering on a “welcome back” smile and, rather than throw him subtle tie-signs of support or encouragement, most of the royals seemed to attempt to act as though they hadn’t even seen him. 

‘Taking his place next to Edward he cut an isolated but defiant-looking figure, but there were no glances or even nods of greeting and no discernible eye contact. 

‘The eye-avoidance looked deliberate, with most of the Firm staring pointedly ahead as though barely even aware of him.

‘Edward and Sophie are often used as the buffers of the royal firm, famously chatting animatedly to avoid the frost between William and Harry on their last public outing, but there were no signs of warmth or connection between these brothers until the singing of the hymn. Andrew turned his head to speak to Edward and Sophie and they replied with the coolest of responses.

Today’s service was attended by the Royal Family and his relatives, friends and people who benefitted from his charities and patronages. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were the only senior royals not there.

The Duke of York had a front row seat at the service, sitting close to his other siblings, with his daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess also in attendance – but there was no sign of his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York.

The Queen’s decision to have Andrew accompany her comes despite him paying up to £12million earlier this month to settle a US civil sexual assault case – and it will be seen as a major signal of support to her second son.

Judi added: ‘The message from the Queen about her Prodigal son Andrew looked unequivocal today. As her eldest son Charles is fond of saying, this is now clearly a “non-negotiable” relationship. 

‘Not only did she choose her second son to accompany and support her as she walked into the Abbey, making this the first time she has been seen in public accepting assistance from anyone, she also paused before they parted to take their seats and threw him a smile of thanks in front of UK and foreign royalty as well as the eyes of the rest of the world.

‘She had four children to choose from but it was Andrew who got the job, even standing behind his mother with his hands clasped behind his back, joining in the smiles and the laughter as she chatted to some of the speakers, looking poignantly like a stand-in for his late father, whose memory they were respecting.’

Despite the cold shoulder from the rest of his family, Andrew maintained his ‘non-verbal arrogance’ and even waived to cameras on his way home.  

‘Andrew’s bearing was upright and almost military,’ Judi added.

‘Those spectacles perched on the end of his nose suggested his tendency to non-verbal arrogance is still holding firm, while his wave to the cameras could be seen as something of a victory role.’

The royal cheerfully waved at photographers as he and the Queen skipped several royal receptions and returned to Windsor Castle this afternoon after an extraordinary and emotional service in remembrance of Prince Philip and his 99-year life of dedication to Britain and his wife.

Her Majesty became emotional in Westminster Abbey – where she married Prince Philip in November 1947 – having personally ensured her beloved husband’s final wishes were fulfilled after his Covid-hit funeral left her sat alone without the rousing hymns and guests he loved so much.

It comes as a royal expert claimed Prince Charles and Prince William will have been left ‘disappointed and uneasy’ after disgraced Prince Andrew accompanied the Queen to the service.

Royal commentators said the surprise move was the 95-year-old monarch’s way of ‘very clearly stating that he has a role at family occasions’ and that ‘many people will now accept the Queen’s word and judgment’. 

The Queen’s decision to have Andrew accompany her comes despite him paying up to £12million earlier this month to settle a US civil sexual assault case – and it will be seen as a major signal of support to her second son.

Royal expert Angela Levin told MailOnline of William and Charles: ‘They would have been very disappointed and uneasy about Andrew’s presence but they would have known that this was the Queen’s decision. 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 favourite son with her, she would be entitled to do that.

‘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 state limousine arrived at the Poets’ Yard entrance of the Abbey with Andrew sat beside her at around 11.30am this morning. As they walked through the famous Poets’ Corner towards her seat in the abbey, in a small procession, the monarch held onto her son’s elbow with her left hand and had a walking stick in her right.

The monarch and her son walked at a slow but steady pace both looking ahead, and at the end of the aisle they separated – with Andrew giving a last glance to his mother as she turned right. After the first hymn, Prince Charles could be seen leaning over to speak to the Queen who was seated next to him.

After the service, the Queen was again escorted out of the Abbey by Andrew. As the monarch stopped to greet Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award holder Doyin Sonibare, Andrew stood back and at one point broke into a smile.

Ms Levin added: ‘There’s no doubt that this whole thing would have left Charles and William disappointed and uneasy. I’m not sure if they would have been angry because even they would have realised that there would not be much point in that. Charles in particular feels that he’s done enough for Andrew and he will not play any part in the Royal family once Charles takes over. I imagine that William feels exactly the same.

‘Both Charles and William were very determined that Andrew had to step down and not play any role in the Royal Family in a professional way. They now expect him to disappear and the two of them will make sure of that. I don’t think either Charles or William played any part in the decision to have Andrew present at the service. The Queen was determined that he would be there and made up her mind about it a long time ago 

‘She (the Queen) was very involved in the service and what it would entail. The Queen does not make quick decisions, she thought about this very carefully and was determined to have Andrew there. I don’t think there would have been much of a discussion about Andrew’s presence because at the end of the day, she’s still the Queen. Charles and William wouldn’t have had to make their views clear about him being there because they have spent a lot of time talking about Andrew and the Queen knows how they feel about him. Even if they had protested to the Queen, they would have soon been quietened.’

And she added: ‘I’m sorry but Andrew’s presence did detract from the service. I was very shocked to see him there, accompanying the Queen. Having someone who is accused of sexual abuse, even though he was not charged with anything, being given such a prominent role in the service is bound to be a detraction

‘At the end of the day, the Queen took a decision that the love she feels for Andrew is more important than anything else or trying to please the public. That’s her right. This was a mother who lost her husband after 70 years and wanted her favourite son to be there by her side.’

Andrew, 62, who has been keeping a low profile since the end of 2019, is said to have been determined to honour his late father the Duke of Edinburgh despite fears his presence could dominate coverage of the event.

Ex-BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said: ‘It didn’t happen by chance. He could have sat in the congregation with others, with his relatives, but they actively decided that he would have this role of supporting her. So she has chosen, in essence, to remind people that he hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing, he’s not guilty of anything, he’s innocent. And she’s very clearly stating that he has a role at family occasions.’

But he also said that the downside of Andrew having had such a prominent role in his father’s memorial service is that it is a reminder of his ‘many errors of judgment that have led him to being removed from public life’. Mr Hunt added: ‘It’s one thing to accept that he should attend his father’s memorial service. It’s quite another thing to then give him quite a prominent role, so it was an active choice to give him such a prominent role.’ 

Mr Hunt said he found it ‘fascinating’, and said: ‘Did William and Charles try to intervene? And clearly if they did then they failed.’ He added: ‘I think you have to start from the basis that Charles and William will have been in the driving seat with the Queen of removing Andrew from public life. Both of them will have been very aware of the risks of Andrew having this role. So either they decided that they could justify it on the basis that it was an event for his father, or they did try to suggest this wasn’t a good idea and the Queen chose not to listen to them.

‘The key issue today for them is remembering Prince Philip. Instead of which people are remembering Prince Philip and commentating on the fact his son, Prince Andrew, had such a prominent role at his memorial service.’

Mr Hunt said he imagines Andrew would have been ‘very keen’ on having the role of escorting his mother, adding: ‘It would be for others to dissuade him.’

He also questioned how it would be perceived in the United States and elsewhere in the world. ‘It’s one thing to organise an event to satisfy the needs and the desires of the family members, it’s quite another to then step back from it and see how it is seen around the world, and I don’t yet know what that judgment will be.

‘But the risk for them is it reopens yet again the whole can of worms for them about Prince Andrew’s judgment, it reminds them about his missteps and it raises questions about the wisdom of allowing him to have a prominent role when he could just have attended as everyone else did,’ he said.

And royal author Victoria Murphy added: ‘Because of the nature of the event, I don’t think Prince Andrew’s appearance alongside the Queen is an indication that anything has changed as far as his public role goes. But it does send a message that he still has a very important role by her side in her personal life.’

Meanwhile royal expert Robert Jobson, author of Prince Philip’s Century, told People magazine of Andrew’s appearance: ‘It shows she wholeheartedly loves and believes her son. As she did when she made a statement about Camilla being Queen’s Consort, many people will now accept the Queen’s word and judgment.’ 

He said some senior royals were unimpressed, ‘but she insisted’. ‘It does make some sense that he accompany her because he doesn’t have a partner,’ he said. ‘A settlement has been paid but he’s guilty of nothing in the eyes of the law. She has faith in Andrew. Even if he disappears from public life, he’s been able to pay tribute to his father, who after all, was very proud of his service in the Royal Navy, where he fought in the Falkland Islands conflict.’

Andrew’s role at the ceremony was revealed hours earlier by Mr Jobson, who told GB News this morning: ‘I think that Prince Andrew may play a more prominent role than we think earlier on. My understanding is that someone has to support the Queen and he may well be by her side. I think Charles will probably be with Camilla.’

Another royal commentator said Andrew’s role may have been a matter of ‘practicality’ as much as anything else. Asked if he viewed Andrew’s role at the memorial service as a way of the Queen showing support for her son, Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine, said: ‘It’s hard to interpret how it came about. I’m not sure that the Queen would necessarily regard it in that way.’ 

He said it might have just been ‘a practicality as much as anything’ and a plan that ‘fitted the purposes of the occasion’. Mr Little added: ‘I mean clearly with him by her side then the support is there physically and in every other way really.’ He pointed out that Andrew has not been found guilty of anything, adding: ‘It’s a complicated situation on a very personal level for the Queen as his mother.’

Mr Little also pointed out that, like the Queen, Andrew was also travelling from Windsor for the service. Asked if he was surprised by Andrew’s role of escorting his mother, he said: ‘I suppose we should always expect the unexpected on big royal occasions, and I don’t think anybody had guessed that this is what would happen. But I suppose we could look at it in many ways, but the Queen was coming from Windsor. 

‘Andrew was coming from Windsor. So it made sense to have a member of the family travel with her. Clearly it’s the first time that we’ve seen him for a long time since all the legal wranglings were settled, so some people will argue that he shouldn’t have been as prominent, but then we have to remember that he was the Duke of Edinburgh’s son, so you know, really, he is just as entitled to be there as his siblings.’

And royal historian Hugo Vickers said Andrew’s role in escorting the Queen was ‘entirely correct and appropriate’, describing it as a ‘nice gesture’. He said that the Queen ‘needs an arm’ and said ‘Who better than her son?’ Mr Vickers added that if she took the arm of an official it would look ‘rather sad’.

But Nazil Afzal, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for North West England, tweeted: ‘I see Prince Andrew is travelling with Her Majesty to Prince Philip’s memorial. I’m all for rehabilitation but it starts with facing justice, accepting responsibility and working to rebuild victims’ confidence. None of that is present here, so far.’ 

Palace sources said in January that the ‘ruthless and swift’ decision to strip Andrew of his military titles by the Queen had been ‘widely discussed’ within the Royal Family following the Duke’s failed bid to persuade a judge to dismiss the civil lawsuit in which he was accused of having sex with a trafficking victim.

Prince Charles and his son William were understood to have been ‘instrumental’ in the move to force him out before the Queen made up her mind and summoned him for a meeting, after the court verdict. On March 8, it was revealed he had paid an estimated £12million to his accuser – bringing the case against him to a close.

But Andrew has been frozen out of the Royal Family in terms of public events, and was not present at Westminster Abbey earlier this month for the Commonwealth Day Service which was attended by senior royals including Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Kate – but not the Queen, who was forced to pull out due to her health. 

Buckingham Palace officials confirmed overnight that Princess Beatrice would attend along with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, while Princess Eugenie was also there with her husband Jack Brooksbank.

On Andrew’s left in the Abbey was his brother the Earl of Wessex and Edward’s family the Countess of Wessex and their children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. Across an aisle on his right was the Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince of Wales and the Queen.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte also attended with Prince William and Kate, and were sat behind the Queen. Behind Andrew and Edward’s family was Peter Phillips, and Zara and Mike Tindall and their daughters. 

Yesterday, the Duke was spotted going horse riding at Windsor Great Park, along with two grooms. He was also photographed driving near Windsor Castle in his hybrid electric Range Rover.

The Duke formally settled the alleged rape case against him by ‘sex slave’ accuser Virginia Roberts at a court in New York earlier this month, after he paid her an estimated £12million. He has always denied the allegations.

Courtiers believe the Duke will effectively disappear from public life after today’s poignant event, where he is likely to rub shoulders with representatives from charities and organisations he has been forced to part ways with.

Prince Philip – who died last April aged 99 – was Colonel of the Grenadier Guards for more than 40 years, and Andrew took over the role in 2017, but it was one of the military titles he was made to give up earlier this year.

The Duke of York has hardly been seen in public since he stepped down from royal life following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal – with the Queen stripping him of his military affiliations and royal patronages in January. 

The Queen arranged for the service for Philip to take place, and the congregation included family, friends, dignitaries and representatives of the many organisations with which the Duke of Edinburgh was associated.

But Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not return the California for the service amid concerns raised by the couple over their security, although Harry plans to go to Holland next month to attend the Invictus Games.   

Members of the Royal Family were joined by more than 30 foreign royals, the duke’s family and friends and 500 representatives from charities and organisations of which he was patron. 

The Queen and Philip were married in the Abbey in November 1947 and it holds many special memories. About 1,800 guests attended today. By contrast, his funeral was limited to 30 people because of Covid restrictions. 

Earlier this month, Andrew paid up to £12million to his US sex accuser – bringing the civil case against him almost to a close.

‘Stipulation of Dismissal’ documents were filed with a New York court on March 8, with lawyers on both sides calling for the legal action to be dismissed, indicating the settlement has been paid.

As the order was published, the Treasury confirmed no taxpayer funds were used for either the payment to Virginia Roberts or for the Duke of York’s legal fees.

A freedom of information request asked whether any money from the Sovereign Grant to the Royal Family or any other government money was used. The Treasury insisted: ‘No public money has been used to pay legal or settlement fees.’ 

The joint order filed with the New York court said each party would pay their own costs and fees.

Miss Roberts – bringing the case under her married name of Giuffre – had sued Andrew for alleged sexual abuse. She claimed he had sex with her when she was 17 after he was trafficked by his friend, the late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The duke will make a ‘substantial donation’ to a charity for sex abuse victims set up by Miss Roberts, now a 38-year-old mother-of-three. He said he now regrets his association with Epstein.

Andrew, who was forced to step down from royal duties and public life as a result of the scandal, previously claimed he had no recollection of meeting Miss Roberts and has always strongly denied her allegations. But he agreed to the settlement last month.