Prince Andrew will not appear in public at today's Garter Day service in Windsor, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
However, the disgraced Duke of York will attend a private lunch and ceremony investing new members of the Order of the Garter.
It is understood the decision for Andrew, whose reputation has been severely tarnished by his involvement in a civil sex case lawsuit, not to take part publicly in Garter Day was a “family decision”.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The Duke of York will attend the investiture and lunch today but will not be part of the procession or service.”
The Queen will also not be taking part in the procession of the Garter Knights, who walk through the grounds of Windsor Castle to St George’s Hall where the annual service commemorating the Order is held.
Given the monarch’s mobility issues the decision was expected and in past years she has travelled by car to the place of worship.
But the Queen is expected to attend the lunch and the investiture ceremony - the same as Andrew.
His last public engagement was when he escorted his mother to the memorial service for the Duke of Edinburgh in March.
He had been set to join the wider royal family at a service of thanksgiving in St Paul’s Cathedral on the second of the four-day Jubilee celebrations earlier this month but ahead of the ceremony it was announced that he had caught coronavirus.
Yesterday, The Sunday Times reported that Andrew, who is a Garter Knight, would be present alongside senior members of the royal family on Monday for the annual service in St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
But The Sun said that heirs to the throne, Prince Charles and Prince William, had lobbied the Queen on the issue.
Senior royals feared a “backlash”, the newspaper said, adding that Charles and William were said to have agreed their approach before telling the Queen, who made the final decision.
The news came as it was claimed Andrew wanted his HRH status reinstated.
The Queen’s second son stepped away from public life after the furore over his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, He paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case, to a woman he claimed never to have met. Andrew denied the claims.
In January, ahead of his legal settlement in the case, the Queen stripped Andrew of his honorary military roles, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and he gave up his HRH style.
On Sunday, the Telegraph quoted an unnamed source as saying: “The colonelcy of the Grenadier Guards was his most coveted title and he wants it back. Having remained a Counsellor of State, he also believes he should be included at royal and state events.
“Most importantly for him is his status as an HRH and ‘Prince of the Blood’ and he feels that should be reinstated and his position recognised and respected.”
