How the royal foursome of Prince Charles, Camilla and the Cambridges are stopping Prince Andrew

The Duke of Cambridge came together with Prince Charles to put a halt to Prince Andrew’s plan to return to public duty, a royal expert has claimed – in the father and son’s latest show of unity in recent months. 

Prince William, 39, told the Queen and Prince of Wales yesterday that he would pull out of the Order of the Garter ceremony if his uncle the Duke of York was given a public role.

And now royal expert Katie Nicholl has revealed how Prince Charles was also ‘particularly resistant’ to his brother attending the event in case he ‘upstage Camilla’s big moment’ which she was ‘thrilled to receive.’ 

Writing in Vanity Fair, she explained how both Prince William and Prince Charles are ‘adamant’ Andrew does not return to public life and want to ‘ride the wave of goodwill’ created by the ‘success of the Jubilee’ without the Duke. 

With the father and son united, the Duchess of Cambridge kept spirits high in Windsor yesterday, as she giggled with Prince Charles and William before greeting Camilla with a beaming grin. 

It comes amid the news Prince William and Kate are planning to move to Adelaide Cottage on Windsor Estate this summer – a move which has apparently ‘gazumped’ Andrew, who has reportedly ‘always had his eye on the property.’

The Cambridges, Prince of Wales and Camilla appear closer than ever in the face of the controversy, having made more frequent appearances as a foursome in recent months. 

Sources told Vanity Fair the Duchess of Cornwall had ‘secretly wanted’ the title of Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter.

It is the highest accolade the Queen can bestow on a female family member, and Camilla was therefore ‘thrilled’ to receive it. 

The royal expert said the Prince of Wales was therefore fearful of Prince Andrew’s appearance at the event ‘upstaging’ his wife’s big moment. 

Katie went on to say Prince Charles is united with his son William in their feeling the Duke of York ‘cannot return to any public role for the sake of the reputation of the monarchy.’

A source explained: ‘There are tensions because the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge want Andrew to be kept away from any public engagements. 

‘They do not want him to return to public life, full stop.’ 

The news comes at the same time reports state Prince William and Kate will move their family to Adelaide Cottage.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are reportedly set to uproot their family from Kensington, west London, to Adelaide Cottage in Berkshire in order to be closer to the Queen. 

Re-erected in 1831, the Cambridge’s new Grade II-listed retreat is just a short walk from St George’s Chapel and Windsor Castle, and sits proudly on the 655-acre royal estate in Berkshire. 

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said: ‘The Queen needs more people like William around her. She is very often on her own apart from staff and so will be delighted William, Kate and her three great-grandchildren will be ten minutes away. The family were very restricted in what they could do during the week at Kensington Palace.’

Royal editor Rebecca English previously told how the home had been subject to jostling by the couple and Prince Andrew.

Just last month, she told Mail+ Palace Confidential: ‘I’ve been told by contacts that could be a little bit tricky because Prince Andrew has actually always had his eye on that property.

‘It’s been used as a grace-and-favour home for royal staff and distant relatives for many years. 

‘He’d rather hoped one of his children, particularly Princess Eugenie, might able to move into it.’

However in recent weeks, it emerged Princess Eugenie will not be moving into the Windsor property – and instead will split her time between the UK and Portugal.   

Prince William and Charles’ latest showing is just the latest moment of unity between the Cambridges and the Prince of Wales and Camilla.

Over the past few months, the foursome have put on jovial and friendly displays at public events together, often led by Kate. 

Kate is known to have a warm relationship with her father-in-law and has reportedly helped smooth the sometimes fractious relationship between the heir to the throne and his son, William.

The Duchess was warmly welcomed into the family by Charles after her engagement to William, and she’s been heard affectionately calling him Grandpa in public on previous occasions.

Meanwhile she is often seen greeting him with a beaming smile, kissing him on the cheek. 

Poignantly, she was photographed comforting the Prince of Wales following Prince Philip’s funeral procession last year. 

In January, Kate, on the personal invitation of Prince Charles, joined him and Camilla on a visit to The Prince’s Foundation training site for arts and culture at Trinity Buoy Wharf, in London. 

It marked the first time since 2012 the trio have stepped out without William. 

And at the recent Jubilee events, the foursome were often spotted sharing a laugh with one another.

At Trooping the Colour, Camilla rode in a carriage with Kate and the three Cambridge children, before the family watched the fly-past together from the Buckingham Palace balcony. 

On the second day of the Jubilee celebrations, the foursome exchanged an affectionate greeting at the service of Thanksgiving for the Queen. 

Meanwhile Kate and Will showed their family’s close bond with Camilla and Charles at the Platinum Pageant, when they asked ‘Grandpa’ to look after a mischievous Prince Louis in one playful moment.   

The Duke of Cambridge’s alleged ultimatum to his grandmother and father yesterday reportedly led to the Duke of York being banned from the Windsor Castle event amid fears the crowds might boo him.

Prince Andrew looked downcast as he drove to Windsor Castle as it was claimed his absence from the Windsor Castle procession and service was a ‘family decision’, Buckingham Palace said, amid huge controversy over his links to Jeffrey Epstein and alleged abuse of one of his ‘sex slaves’.

Andrew was not be seen in public during Garter Day, one of the most colourful events in the royal calendar, after the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge reportedly lobbied the Queen about his participation. The decision was clearly taken at the 11th hour, because Andrew’s name was on the order of service.

A source told the Evening Standard: ‘The Duke of Cambridge was adamant. If York insisted on taking part publicly, he would withdraw’. It would have also meant that his wife Kate would also not have attended.

A palace insider said that the decision to exclude Andrew from the public elements of Garter Day was a ‘family decision’. While a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘The Duke of York will attend the investiture and lunch but will not be part of the procession or service.’

But he was allowed to join the Queen at the formal investiture of new members of the Order of the Garter – including the Duchess of Cornwall and ex PM Tony Blair – and as well as the lunch afterwards.

Her Majesty also missed the procession and service, due to her ongoing mobility problems – but intended to do the formal investiture of the new Garter knights including Tony Blair and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

It came amid reports that Andrew has pushed for a return to royal duties but his older brother Prince Charles and nephew Prince William had asked the Queen not to give in to the disgraced royal. Her Majesty apparently informed him to keep out of sight ‘for his own good’.

Andrew, 62, was stripped of his official duties at the start of the year as he prepared to pay a multi-million-pound settlement to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex slave Virginia Roberts Giuffre to keep her allegations of sexual abuse, which he denies, out of court.

But earlier this week, the duke – who missed the Jubilee celebrations a week ago because he had Covid – dramatically pulled out of Order of the Garter ceremony, despite being a member of the ancient order of chivalry. Charles and William were said to have blocked Andrew from appearing at Order of the Garter ceremony after lobbying the Queen, according to The Sun.

In a last-minute U-turn, the prince backed out of attending public aspects of the annual ceremony at Windsor. 

Buckingham Palace had insisted that Andrew would attend the ceremony, because the honour was given to him in a personal capacity by the Queen.

But behind the scenes there was deep concern about the spectacle of the shamed prince walking in his robes in public. There were also fears he could be booed. The Queen is reported to have asked him to stay out of public sight and only attend private elements of the event. It also appears that his wish to represent her at Royal Ascot has been binned.

But despite this he remains ninth in line to the throne – and a Counsellor of State – meaning he will stand in for the Queen if she is incapacitated and Charles and William are abroad.

Prince Andrew lives in the grounds of Windsor Castle and is said to have daily contact with his mother.

Weeks after she stripped him of his titles, the Queen asked him to accompany her to Prince Philip’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey in March, where he walked his mother down the aisle in a highly symbolic moment.

But palace aides – as well as his relatives – are said to have been clear that the strength of public feeling against over his links to Epstein, must preclude him from taking part in frontline royal duties.

Despite his non-appearance, the duke believes he should be included in other royal and state events, The Daily Telegraph reported.

‘The colonelcy of the Grenadier Guards was his most coveted title and he wants it back,’ a source said.

‘Having remained a Counsellor of State, he also believes he should be included at royal and state events. Most importantly for him is his status as an HRH and ‘Prince of the Blood’ and he feels that should be reinstated and his position recognised and respected.’

The Palace and Andrew’s spokesman earlier this week declined to comment on the claims. But one royal insider suggested that, whether he had asked or not, there should be no expectation of being welcomed back.

The insider said the duke could ‘lobby all he wanted, if indeed he has, but whether he would ever get anything back is an entirely different matter’.

An aide said the statement from January in which he was stripped of his roles ‘with the Queen’s approval and agreement’, still ‘speaks for itself’.