PRINCE Andrew played a prominent part in the procession of the Queen’s coffin down the Royal Mile despite his mother stripping some of his titles earlier this year.
The Queen’s second son – a former Royal Navy officer who served in the Falklands War - stepped back from public life after the furore over his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to a woman he claimed never to have met.
In January, ahead of his legal settlement, the Queen stripped him of all of his honorary military roles, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.
He retained his HRH title but, like Harry and Meghan, but does not use it in any official capacity. He retained his rank as Vice Admiral.
But despite recent events, the Earl of Inverness followed the coffin down the famous thoroughfare in Edinburgh from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’s Cathedral alongside his siblings King Charles III, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward.
However, he was wearing a suit rather than his military uniform as he is no longer a working member of the royal family. He will be back in uniform as a special mark of respect for the Queen at the final vigil in Westminster Hall later this week.
Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence also joined the procession while the car behind them carried Queen Consort Camilla and Sophie, Edward’s wife.
Prince Andrew was due to be promoted to Admiral in 2020 to mark his 60th birthday but this did not go ahead following the fallout from his disastrous Newsnight appearance with Emily Maitlis.
The controversial interview also led several charities to cut their ties with the Prince including London Metropolitan University and the English National Ballet.
Police have confirmed they have arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with a breach of the peace on the Royal Mile on Monday.
A video shot as the funeral cortege made its way up the road shows a man being pulled out of the crowd before falling to the floor after shouting abuse at Prince Andrew.
He was then picked up by a police officer who led him away from the scene before a voice off-camera shouted: “Disgusting."
