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Prince Andrew was spotting making the most of the crisp autumnal weather this morning, enjoying an early ride around the lush grounds of Windsor Castle.
The Duke of York, 60, donned a blue coat and helmet for the trot alongside a female groom – days after it emerged he is yet to speak to US authorities investigating the crimes of his paedophile former friend Jeffrey Epstein.
The royal, who promised to cooperate a year ago, was branded ‘outrageous’ last week by the lawyer representing six victims of the dead disgraced financier, who killed himself in prison in 2019.
Lisa Bloom called on Andrew to submit to an interview with the FBI as they investigated another of the Royal’s friends socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of procuring teenage girls for Epstein to abuse. A spokeswoman for the duke’s lawyers declined to comment on her remarks.
Prince Andrew was spotting making the most of the crisp autumnal weather this morning, enjoying an early ride around the lush grounds of Windsor Castle
Andrew appeared to put his worries to one side today as he strode around Windsor atop a black horse.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s father, who lives at the Royal Lodge just three miles away, was spotted where his mother and father are currently isolating.
The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, are in isolation at their Berkshire residence after leaving Norfolk for the month-long lockdown.
The Duke of York was last photographed out for a ride on November 9 – after he missed this year’s Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph.
Sources said it is ‘unlikely’ he will ever make an appearance again.
Andrew appeared to put his worries to one side today as he strode around Windsor atop a black horse alongside a female groom
Andrew served his country with distinction during the Falklands War. He piloted Sea King helicopters in the South Atlantic during the 1982 conflict, flying missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and casualty evacuation.
On his return to Portsmouth in September 1982, his ship, HMS Invincible, was met by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The prince eventually retired from the Royal Navy after 22 years in 2001.
A source said: ‘There has been behind-the-scenes agonising over the Cenotaph issue because of the Duke’s history of service, but matters have now been taken out of everyone’s hands.
‘Her Majesty the Queen and the Prince of Wales will lead the nation’s tributes in a pared-down event.
Former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is on remand for child sex trafficking charges linked to Jeffrey Epstein and may be in jail a year before her trial next summer. Pictured, the pair together in 2005
‘However, unless matters change dramatically, no one believes we will ever see the Duke of York in the royal line-up on Remembrance Sunday again.’
Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew, who served with distinction as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot, would be stepping back from royal duties for the ‘foreseeable future’ in November following his disastrous attempt to clear his name in a BBC interview.
In the Newsnight interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, the duke denied claims that he slept with Virginia Giuffre, who says she was trafficked by Epstein, on three separate occasions, including when she was 17, still a minor under US law.
The duke was criticised for showing a lack of empathy towards the paedophile’s victims and a lack of remorse over his friendship with the pervert.
In a statement released on his parents’ wedding anniversary last year, Andrew said that the Queen had given her permission for him to bow out of royal duties for the ‘foreseeable future’.
He said: ‘The circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work.’
Andrew added he continued to ‘unequivocally regret my ill-judged association’ with Epstein and pledged to help ‘any appropriate law enforcement agency’.
One year on from withdrawing from his public role, the duke is widely expected never to return to royal duties.
He has faced a war of words between his camp and American authorities over his availability to answer questions about Epstein.
Andrew was accused of attempting to ‘falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to co-operate’ by US attorney Geoffrey Berman, who was leading the investigation into Epstein.
But the duke’s legal team said he had made three offers to give a witness statement.
Calls for him to speak to the authorities were renewed after Maxwell appeared in court in the US accused of facilitating Epstein’s sexual exploitation of underage girls. Her trial is set for July next year.
As the Royal Family adjusted to carrying out engagements via video call during the coronavirus outbreak, Andrew, who categorically denies any wrongdoing, stayed out of the public limelight.
The duke’s milestone 60th birthday in February was a quiet affair, with his planned military promotion to Admiral deferred at his request.
He made a rare appearance in April when he was pictured on Instagram with his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, packing cupcakes into care packages for a hospice.
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