Princes Charles and William stop Prince Andrew’s royal return to the spotlight – reports

Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

• Prince Andrew will no longer represent his family in what would have been his first official public appearance in months.
• The disgraced royal was scheduled to attend the Order of the Garter ceremony on Monday.
• The royal reportedly withdrew his planned participation after Princes Charles and William asked Queen Elizabeth not to allow it.

Prince Andrew will no longer represent the royal family in what would have been his first official public appearance in months.

The disgraced royal, who remains a Knight of the Order of the Garter, was scheduled to attend the Order of the Garter ceremony – one of the key events in the annual royal calendar – held at St George’s Chapel on Monday.

According to Daily Mail, the royal withdrew his planned participation after his older brother Prince Charles and nephew Prince William asked Queen Elizabeth not to allow it.

Andrew – who was absent from the queen’s recent Platinum Jubilee weekend celebration due to a positive Covid-19 diagnosis – was previously made a knight as a member of Queen Elizabeth’s family. He keeps that title irrespective of the other patronages and military titles he was forced to step away from after his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light and after reaching an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre in her sexual assault lawsuit against him in February.

In the time that has passed since the lawsuit, Prince Andrew has been lobbying the queen to reinstate his royal status, The Telegraph reports. This would mean readmittance to official events alongside other family members and acquiring the royal titles he was stripped of.

He is reported to have also asked for his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, to be given duties as working royals.

In a report by The Sun UK, Queen Elizabeth reportedly responded to Charles and William’s concerns by requesting that Andrew remain out of sight and only attend private elements of Monday’s event, which includes a lunch with the monarch.

According to a press statement, members of the royal family “will walk in procession to the chapel” and “depart by carriages for their return journey to the Castle” after the service. 

During Monday’s ceremony, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will be “installed as a Royal Lady of the Garter”. This honour is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain and was inspired by the legend of King Arthur.