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Prince Andrew has been spotted horseriding in Windsor today for the second time since the Queen’s funeral amid rumours he faces a grim future for a royal under Charles’ rule.
The prince, 62, was seen in riding gear and a blue fleece with a royal crest as he rode near where the Queen was laid to rest following her state funeral earlier this month.
But his enjoyment of the outdoors could be all he has to look forward to after royal experts claim he faces being frozen out of the royal family under his brother’s rule, and will be no more than the royal’s ‘dog walker-in-chief’.
The Queen’s second son returned to public life after the death of Elizabeth II earlier this month, after previously stepping back from royal duties after details of his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein emerged.
He was briefly allowed to wear his military uniform as he and his siblings stood vigil next to their mother’s coffin as she lay in state in Westminster Hall.
Prince Andrew also greeted mourners at Balmoral shortly after the death of Her Majesty as they gathered outside the castle where the Queen passed away to lay flowers and pay tribute.
But his attempt to rescue his reputation stands little chance of succeeding, according to royal observers.
It comes after King Charles was said to be instrumental in the decision to strip the Prince of all his royal titles in January of this year.
The prince, 62, was seen in riding gear and a blue fleece with a royal crest as he rode near where the Queen was laid to rest following her state funeral earlier this month
Andrew was seen to be enjoying himself on his ride in Windsor, where he is often seen exercising the royal horses
His enjoyment of the outdoors could be all he has to look forward to after royal experts claim he faces being frozen out of the royal family under his brother’s rule
Prince Andrew could even be kicked out of the lavish Windsor mansion where he currently lives with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson
King Charles is widely reported to be planning a slimmed-down monarchy during his reign, which could include a review into the Crown’s vast property portfolio covering 500,000-plus acres of land.
This would see little room for Andrew, who could be left simply looking after his late mother’s dogs, Candy, Muick and Sandy, the Sun reports.
Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will remain at their lavish Windsor mansion in the near future, but fear they could be ‘kicked out’ amid a shake-up within the Royal Family.
Royal author Phil Dampier previously told MailOnline: ‘Prince Andrew will be devastated by the Queen’s death because he was always her favourite child.
‘Although he was in disgrace because of his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, he still saw more of her in private than his siblings.
‘Living at Royal Lodge just a short distance from Windsor Castle, he would see her on an almost daily basis. He supported her when she was more frail, and was always there for her in person or on the phone whenever she needed him.
‘There was an unbreakable bond between them and she must have been devastated when his name was dragged through the mud.
‘He only had himself to blame of course and it’s difficult to feel sympathy for him, but as a mother she always supported him.’
Following the revelations of Prince Andrew’s connections to Epstein and his disastrous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, he faced a US lawsuit by Virgina Roberts – who now goes by her married name of Giuffre.
As pressure and bad publicity continued to pile on Duke of York over the New York civil sex assault case, it was announced in January 2021 that the Prince would lose his royal patronages so he could fight the allegations as a ‘private citizen’.
Despite vowing to fight Ms Roberts’ allegations directed against him in the civil case filed in New York – and repeatedly protesting his innocence – Andrew agreed to pay £12million to settle the case before it reached a jury.
Andrew said he would make a ‘substantial donation’ to her charity supporting victims’ rights and also praised her ‘bravery’, saying he had ‘never intended’ to malign her character.
He last appeared in an official capacity in March during a memorial service to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who died last year.
This was not without controversy after he arrived with the Queen from Windsor and supported her as she used a walking stick to get to her seat.
He then helped her back out of the church and into the Royal limousine at the end of the service.
Prince Andrew and his siblings walk behind the Queen’s coffin on September 14 ahead of the lying in state
Prince Andrew placed himself at the front of the family when greeting wellwishers at Balmoral
But despite his efforts it has been reported he faces a grim future with his brother as monarch
International media were quick to notice the significant role he was allowed to play in the service, given he had only reached the costly settlement with Ms Giuffre weeks earlier.
Ms Giuffre claimed that Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell had trafficked her from the US specifically to have sex with the Prince when she was 17.
Epstein killed himself in his jail cell after he was arrested for sex trafficking girls as young as 14 in 2019.
Maxwell was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison for various sex trafficking offences, including against children, in June of this year.
It was later reported that Prince William and King Charles had raised concerns ‘on more than once occasion’ about the optics of allowing the duke to escort the 96-year-old monarch down to her seat at such a well-publicised event.
According to reports the King and his son had also been pivotal in arguing for Andrew to be stripped of all his royal titles and patronages earlier in the year.
Andrew was then banned from the Buckingham Palace balcony for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, an act which royal experts said proved there was ‘no way back’ for the disgraced duke.
But in the aftermath of the Queen’s death, Prince Andrew played a prominent role in official and ceremonial proceedings.
This included walking behind the Queen’s coffin on various occasions and standing guard over her coffin with his other siblings.
When he greeted royal fans at Balmoral alongside his daughters and various other members of the family, including Edward the Earl of Wessex and his children, royal commentators were quick to point out it might have been an attempt for him to rescue his public image.
Mr Dampier added of Andrew: ‘When he was a baby he wasn’t seen in public for months and rumours even circulated that there was something wrong with him. But it was just her protecting him and enjoying time with him, which she didn’t have with Charles and Anne who were a decade older.
‘Andrew was known as the ‘love child’ because his birth marked a new era for the Queen having two children after a gap. There had also been rumours in the mid 1950s that all was not well with her marriage to Prince Philip and so a new child scotched those.
‘He was probably a bit spoilt as a child and allowed a free rein, which might explain his arrogance as an adult. Maybe she indulged him too much and certainly she should have asked more questions about his lifestyle long before he was served with legal notices.’
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