Prince Andrew wants a central role at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee service at St Paul’s Cathedral in June, claims a royal insider.
The Duke of York played a prominent part at a tribute service for Prince Philip last Tuesday at Westminster Abbey where he escorted the Queen from Windsor and to her seat in the church.
And now it appears that he wants to build on that for the Jubilee events this year including a memorial service at St Paul’s.
There has been debate over how Andrew came to walk the Queen to her seat at Westminster Abbey with some claims that it wasn’t planned for him to sit at the front with the order of service showing him positioned next to his daughters.
It has also been suggested that it shows the 95-year-old Queen still has control over the Royal Family as she was behind Andrew’s prominent role while other senior royals disapproved.
Either way it has raised hopes for Andrew that he can have an important role for the Jubilee events to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
It comes after he was removed from public life and paid suspected millions to settle a civil sexual assault case involving Virginia Giuffre.
He has always denied any wrong-doing in the case.
“Prince Andrew does want to participate in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and to be present at the St Paul’s Cathedral service of thanksgiving and to pay tribute to the Queen’s magnificent 70 years of public service," a royal insider told the Express.
“The Prince and Queen do have a close bond. The Queen knows exactly what she is doing. She’s very much in charge."
A packed itinerary to mark the royal milestone opens with Trooping the Colour and the Queen’s Birthday Parade, on June 2.
Then the St Paul’s service next day is followed by a trip to one of the monarch’s favourite engagements – the Derby at Epsom.
Other key events include a Platinum Party, when some of the world’s top entertainers perform at Buckingham Palace, and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
