Prince Andrew has been spotted horse riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle today – after the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death yesterday.
The disgraced Duke of York, 63, is thought to have marked the day in private, while his brother King Charles II and Queen Camilla attended a special service at Crathie Kirk in Balmoral to commemorate the life of the late monarch.
Making the most of today’s sunny weather, the late Queen’s middle son was also pictured driving his Range Rover around the grounds of the Berkshire estate.
Looking relaxed in the horse’s saddle, Andrew sported sunglasses to shield his eyes from the sun, as well as a light blue shirt and navy trousers as he joined some other horse riders.
Last month, Andrew was seen travelling to church alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales as they joined other royals for the first summer break at Balmoral since the late Queen spent her final days there before her death a year ago.
But while the outing was seen as a ‘public statement of togetherness’ – it’s clear Britons aren’t so keen on Andrew being ‘welcomed back into the Royal Family’s fold’, with an exclusive poll by MailOnline showing he is the nation’s least favourite royal.
Prince Andrew has been spotted horse riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle today – after the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death yesterday
The Duke of York should receive no public money, according to almost 80 per cent of Britons, with just one in ten saying he should – fewer than those who wanted to see a fictional Earl and Countess paid taxpayer funds.
Andrew should also be removed from the line of succession, the vast majority argued – despite being eighth in line to the throne and often spoken of as the late monarch’s favourite child.
Almost 80 per cent of the public think he should be barred from inheriting the crown – meaning Andrew fared even worse in public opinion than Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle.
The British public also largely share the view that King Charles should ensure his controversial younger brother must never be allowed to return duties again.
Almost half of people surveyed believe ‘there are no good things about him, only bad things’ when it comes to the Duke of York.
The 63-year-old is no longer a working royal, despite pictures of him at a Balmoral church service last month indicating the Windsors were welcoming him back into the fold.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline at the time that the photographs of Prince Andrew travelling to church with the Waleses were ‘clearly intended to send a message of family unity’.
But he insisted it was not a sign Andrew could return to public duties in any form.
Making the most of today’s sunny weather, the late Queen’s middle son was also pictured driving his Range Rover around the grounds of the Berkshire estate
Looking relaxed in the horse’s saddle, Andrew sported sunglasses to shield his eyes from the sun, as well as a light blue shirt and navy trousers as he joined some other horse riders
Last month, Andrew (pictured today) was seen travelling to church alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales as they joined other royals for the first summer break at Balmoral since the late Queen spent her final days there before her death a year ago
It has been a dramatic fall from grace for a man, who, as a Royal Navy veteran of 22 years once commanded the respect of a nation.
He has since given up his HRH titles and had his honorary military roles stripped by the Queen, being denied the right to wear his military uniform on a number of occasions, including as he followed his mother’s coffin.
Andrew quit his role as a trade envoy when pictures emerged of him walking in New York’s Central Park with American financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2010.
Images also surfaced of the Prince with his arm around Virginia Giuffre, who claimed that Epstein employed her as a masseuse but exploited her while under-age.
Giuffre has alleged she was forced to have sex with him three times aged 17 when under Epstein’s orders – a claim Prince Andrew continues to vehemently deny.
Then came the car-crash interview with Emily Maitlis on Newsnight in 2019 – an attempt to wash his hands of the controversy that blew up in his face.
But while the outing was seen as a ‘public statement of togetherness’ – it’s clear Britons aren’t so keen on Andrew (pictured right) being ‘welcomed back into the Royal Family’s fold’, with an exclusive poll by MailOnline showing he is the nation’s least favourite royal
The Duke of York (pictured right) should receive no public money, according to almost 80 per cent of Britons, with just one in ten saying he should – fewer than those who wanted to see a fictional Earl and Countess paid taxpayer funds
Andrew paid Virginia Giuffre a reported £12million out-of-court settlement last year to get her to drop her civil claim in the US.
While Andrew has largely kept a low profile following the string of scandals, it seems from the new poll data that the public would like to see even less of him – with 53 per cent of people saying he should undertake fewer public engagements.
The findings were revealed in a comprehensive new poll on the state of the monarchy carried out for MailOnline by Deltapoll.
It asked more than 2,000 people how they view the Royal Family, its members and the work the institution does in the UK and abroad.
Deltapoll interviewed 2,009 British adults online between September 1 and 4 2023. The data has been weighted to be representative of the British adult population as a whole.
Now have your say! Use our interactive tools to get involved in MailOnline’s royal survey
Now you can have a go at answering 20 questions which were asked in the survey:
Poll
Taking everything into account do you think the institution of the monarchy is good or bad for Britain?
- Good for Britain 6807 votes
- Bad for Britain 783 votes
- Neither good nor bad for Britain 794 votes
- Don’t know 49 votes
Poll
Would you favour Britain becoming a republic or remaining a monarchy?
- Britain should become a republic 1219 votes
- Britain should remain a monarchy 6564 votes
- Don’t know 174 votes
Poll
In fifty years, do you think Britain will still have a monarchy?
- Yes, I think Britain will still have a monarchy in fifty years 5821 votes
- No, I think Britain will not have a monarchy in fifty years 1402 votes
- Don’t know 450 votes
Poll
In years to come, Prince William’s son Prince George is set to become the King. Do you think that his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, should have to work, or receive the Sovereign Grant?
- Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis should earn all of their money by working 2266 votes
- Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis should earn some money but should also be supported by a Sovereign Grant 4351 votes
- Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis should be entirely supported by a Sovereign Grant 751 votes
- Don’t know 188 votes
Poll
In your opinion, do you think that King Charles III should or should not continue to speak out on issues and current affairs that matter to him?
- King Charles should continue to speak out on issues and current affairs that matter to him 3599 votes
- As monarch, King Charles should not be expressing an opinion on any issues or current affairs 3614 votes
- Don’t know 112 votes
Poll
If you had to say, do you imagine that Queen Elizabeth II would think that King Charles is taking the future of the Monarchy in the right direction or the wrong direction?
- The right direction 5436 votes
- The wrong direction 839 votes
- Don’t know 965 votes
Poll
How much, if anything, do you think the Royal Family has to offer the young people of Britain nowadays?
- The Royal Family have a great deal to offer young people 3470 votes
- The Royal Family have a fair amount to offer young people 1972 votes
- The Royal Family do not have very much to offer young people 794 votes
- The Royal Family have nothing to offer young people 822 votes
- Don’t know 114 votes
Poll
If you had the choice, which of the following do you think would have been best when the Queen passed away last year?
- Prince Charles should have become King 4814 votes
- Prince William should have become King 1937 votes
- Don’t know 287 votes
Poll
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
- King Charles should remain as king until he dies 4087 votes
- Prince William should become king at some stage in the future before King Charles dies 2393 votes
- Prince William should become king now 390 votes
- Don’t know 212 votes
Poll
Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
- As King Charles and Queen Camilla get older, it is right that they should hand over more and more public duties to Prince William and Princess Catherine 5297 votes
- It is important that King Charles and Queen Camilla maintain their public duties, even as they get older 1433 votes
- Don’t know 192 votes
Poll
Taking everything into account, has your opinion of King Charles III changed since he became King?
- Yes, my opinion of him has got better 3580 votes
- Yes, my opinion of him has got worse 593 votes
- No, my opinion of him has stayed the same 3010 votes
- Don’t know 32 votes
Poll
Taking everything into account, has your opinion of Queen Camilla changed since she married Charles in 2005?
- Yes, my opinion of her has got better 3665 votes
- Yes, my opinion of her has got worse 602 votes
- No, my opinion of her has stayed the same 2814 votes
- Don’t know 61 votes
Poll
If you had to say, all things considered, do you imagine that Diana, Princess of Wales would have been a better or worse queen than Queen Camilla?
- Diana, Princess of Wales would have been a better queen 2400 votes
- Queen Camilla will be a better queen 2208 votes
- There will be no real difference between the two 1854 votes
- Don’t know 720 votes
Poll
King Charles inherited land and property which is estimated to be worth up to £390m and paid no Inheritance Tax. What he inherited brings in around £4.5 million each year from rent paid by members of the public. Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
- This money raised from renting should go to the Treasury 4037 votes
- This money raised from renting should go to the Royal Family 2277 votes
- Don’t know 649 votes
Poll
Taking everything into account, of the following, who do you believe has done more damage to the Royal Family?
- Prince Harry 5188 votes
- Prince Andrew 1783 votes
- Don’t know 134 votes
Poll
When you think about Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
- There are no bad things about him, only good things 157 votes
- The good things about him are outweighed by the bad things 2369 votes
- The bad things about him are equal to the good things 286 votes
- The bad things about him are outweighed by the good things 1146 votes
- There are no good things about him, only bad things 3015 votes
- Don’t know 115 votes
Poll
When you think about Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
- There are no bad things about him, only good things 59 votes
- The good things about him are outweighed by the bad things 1461 votes
- The bad things about him are equal to the good things 491 votes
- The bad things about him are outweighed by the good things 733 votes
- There are no good things about him, only bad things 3864 votes
- Don’t know 275 votes
Poll
When it comes to Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
- King Charles should be open to the idea of Prince Harry and Meghan both playing an active role in the Royal Family again at some stage in the future 381 votes
- King Charles should be open to the idea of just Prince Harry playing an active role in the Royal Family again at some stage in the future, but without Meghan playing a role 496 votes
- King Charles should not allow either Prince Harry or Meghan to play an active role in the Royal Family ever again 6038 votes
- Don’t know 105 votes
Poll
When it comes to Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, which of the following statements comes closest to your own view?
- King Charles should be open to the idea Prince Andrew playing an active role in the Royal Family again at some stage in the future 711 votes
- King Charles should not allow Prince Andrew to play an active role in the Royal Family ever again 6005 votes
- Don’t know 168 votes
Poll
From what you know, and taking everything into account, do you think that Prince Harry will ever come back to Britain to live full time or not?
- Prince Harry will come back to Britain to live at some point in the future 1974 votes
- Prince Harry will never come back to live in Britain full time 3451 votes
- Don’t know 666 votes
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