Prince Charles and his son, the Duke of Cambridge, were reportedly left “dismayed” by the disgraced Prince Andrew taking centre stage at Prince Philip’s memorial service.
The service for the Queen’s late husband brought together nearly all members of the Royal Family to honour their much-loved relative.
And right beside the monarch through the service was Prince Andrew, who provoked astonishment and shock from the public by taking the limelight at the service in Westminster Abbey.
Despite withdrawing from public life and just three weeks after paying suspected millions to settle a civil sexual assault case , Prince Andrew accompanied the Queen from Windsor Castle to the thanksgiving event at Westminster Abbey and escorted his mother all the way to her front row position.
Andrew has not admitted wrongdoing in the case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre and the prince has consistently denied Mrs Giuffre’s allegations.
According to Daily Mail reports, senior royals had “reluctantly” accepted the 62-year-old prince would travel with the Queen to London because they lived so close to each other.
However, they were said to have hoped that “common sense” would prevail and that Andrew would not seek to play a prominent role.
Senior royals, including Prince Charles and the Duke of Cambridge, were “dismayed” by events, a family source reportedly said.
Andrew’s decision to put himself “front and centre” of the service - his first public appearance since the controversial settlement was struck with Epstein victim Mrs Giuffre, had caused “consternation”, the source said.
'It would be a great shame if the service was overshadowed by all of this. There is a strong sense of regret that this has happened,' they added.
With around 1,800 people in attendance, today’s service was a far cry from the images captured of the Queen at her late husband’s funeral last year; a tiny, bowed figure dressed in black and sitting alone, with Covid rules barring her from a single warm hand to hold.
It was inside the same iconic central London Abbey, 75 years ago, that the Duke and the Queen married, and it was there too, that Prince Philip pledged his allegiance to her as her “liege man of life and limb” at her Coronation in 1953.
While the service dwelt mainly on the Duke’s work and dedication to his causes, there was still room for her to nod to their personal relationship.
The Queen made the decision only on Tuesday morning that she would definitely be attending her beloved late husband's memorial service - at which point military-style plans were put in place to sweep her there in the most comfortable way possible.
Earlier this month she had already missed the Commonwealth Day service at the Abbey with the decision understood to be related to her comfort travelling the 26-mile journey from Windsor Castle to London and sitting through the event, rather than a specific illness.
As the Dean of Windsor and the Right Reverend David Conner, among others, paid their respects to the duke, all eyes were on Andrew sitting in the front row with other senior family members.
It was understood that the “issue” of his presence was “kicked about” by senior royals and their households in recent days.
There was an understanding and acceptance that he had a right to mourn and celebrate his father, but it was questioned how much attention he drew to himself in the process, by arriving with the Queen by car.
Staff parked the car as close as possible to the entrance of the Abbey and the monarch leaned heavily on her walking stick and held onto her son’s arm as they entered.
Andrew walked his mother to her seat, before he took his own seat on the other side of the aisle.
Sources said some felt Andrew’s central role in the service was “inappropriate”
“It hadn't been discussed specifically but it was hoped that common sense would intervene [and Andrew would not accompany her to the front of the abbey],” they said.
“Clearly it didn't. There is dismay. I think people accept that this doesn't look good.”
Another source was reported to have suggested Andrew would have “insisted” and no one would have found out “until it was too late”.
“The Prince of Wales will be despairing at the decision. And I don't think the Duke of Cambridge will be too happy either. But that's Andrew all over,” they added.
Once the service was over, she returned to the Bentley with Andrew to be driven away from the venue.
While many commentators were outraged to see Andrew playing such a major role in the occasion, royal expert and former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt believes she used the opportunity to send a clear message.
He said: “It didn’t happen by chance.
“He could have sat in the congregation with others, with his relatives, but they actively decided that he would have this role of supporting her.”
