Members of the Royal Family lobbied the Queen behind closed doors not to allow Prince Andrew to “overshadow” the memorial service for Prince Andrew in Westminster Abbey on Tuesday, March 29, royal correspondent Richard Palmer has told The Royal Round. Prince Andrew did go on to accompany the Queen to the abbey and supported the monarch as she walked down the central aisle.
Mr Palmer told host Pandora Forsyth: “My understanding is that this came and went, there was a discussion about it some days earlier and the family thought it had gone away.
“Then suddenly at the last minute, I think the day before it reared its head again and members of the family pleaded with the Queen effectively, and said, you know, please don’t do this because it will overshadow the event.
“She was insistent and there’s a bit of dispute amongst some of us as colleagues about how much influence Andrew has in this.
“I mean, I know that the family feel that certainly, Andrew should have realised that this was a bad idea and should have said no, I don’t think I should do that.
“But I also understand that people think that he was manoeuvring behind the scenes to do this.”
He continued: “I think they feel that he’s using this to try to rehabilitate himself on that.
“Having said he won’t play any part in public life and the longer that he is now going to say he’s still got a part to play.
Mr Palmer added: “But it is important to say that at the end of the day this was the Queen’s decision and she took it and I think many people think that she made the wrong decision there.”
This January, he was stripped of his honorary military titles and patronages by the Queen.
The Duke was also forced to relinquish using his HRH style amid his legal battle.
Virginia Giuffre was suing him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein.
At the time, Buckingham Palace said: “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
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