Prince Andrew will appear alongside the Queen for Garter Day at Windsor Castle as the Duke returns to the royal spotlight
- The Duke of York will attend the ceremony on June 13 with other senior royals
- Andrew was stripped of all his honorary military titles amid a sex abuse scandal
- He settled out of court in February with a victim of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
- His attendance comes as a surprise as he was expected to withdraw from public life
Prince Andrew is expected to appear alongside the Queen for Garter Day at Windsor Castle on June 13 despite the fallout of his sex abuse scandal and ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke of York will take part in the ceremony alongside other senior royals on what is one of the most important ceremonies in the Royal calendar.
His name will also appear in the next day’s Court Circular, and will attend Garter Day ceremonies as a Royal Knight.
Andrew was stripped of all his honorary military titles and designation HRH in January in light of the civil sex abuse case with Virginia Giuffre – a victim of Epstein who claimed Andrew had sexually assaulted her when she was aged just 17.
The Duke of York and Giuffre ultimately settled out of court for an undisclosed fee earlier this year, but the settlement is believed to be worth millions of pounds and the case has destroyed Andrew’s reputation.
There are now fears Andrew’s attendance at Garter Day celebrations could overshadow the event, especially after he was said to have agreed to step back from public life following the conclusion of the case.
Prince Andrew is expected to appear alongside the Queen for Garter Day at Windsor Castle on June 13 despite the fallout of his sex abuse scandal and ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (The Queen and Prince Andrew pictured 2019 at Trooping The Colour)
Andrew was stripped of all his honorary military titles and designation HRH in January in light of the civil sex abuse case with Virginia Giuffre – a victim of Epstein who claimed Andrew had sexually assaulted her when she was aged just 17
BQueen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew, center right, arrive for a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London, Tuesday, March 29, 2022
In medieval times, King Edward III was so inspired by tales of King Arthur and the chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table that he set up his own group of honourable knights, called the Order of the Garter.
Nearly 700 years later, the Order is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain. The Knights, now both male and female, used to be limited to aristocracy, but today they are chosen from a variety of backgrounds, in recognition for their public service.
The annual iconic Garter Day procession, where The Queen and the Knights process in grand velvet robes, glistening insignia and plumed hats, is one of the most traditional ceremonies in the Queen’s calendar.
The Queen is sovereign of the Order and appoints Knights of the Garter without input from ministers, meaning that Prince Andrew’s appointment was considered as private.
Hundreds are expected to gather in Windsor to watch the procession, though it is not known whether The Queen will take part given her recent mobility and health issues.
In years past The Queen would don luscious flowing robes which she wore throughout the public procession and Garter Day church service.
She is said to be likely to attend the ceremony in the Garter throne room and lunch in the Waterloo Chamber this year, health permitting.
The Order of the Garter is a 700-year-old tradition which recognises great public service. Membership is limited to a maximum of 24 and is usually Lords and Ladies with The Queen, left in 2018, naming members as she sees fit
The Queen and Prince Andrew are expected to be joined by The Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, among several other senior royals.
She will be among seven other senior members of the royal family including Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
News of The Duke of York’s expected attendance at Garter Day celebrations comes as it was confirmed The Queen will not take the royal salute at the Trooping the Colour next month for the first time in 70 years, as she continues to delegate responsibility to senior members of The Firm.
Her Majesty’s birthday, on June 2nd, has historically seen the monarch’s personal troops, the Household Division on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute.
Instead this year, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal will ride on the parade as colonels of the Welsh Guards, the Irish Guards and the Blues and Royals.
The Queen will not take the royal salute at the Trooping the Colour for the first time in 70 years as she continues to delegate responsibility to senior members of The Firm. She is pictured on the balcony of Buckingham Place during the ceremony in 2019
The news comes as the 96-year-old monarch continues to entrust members of the Royal Family with increased responsibilities as she faces ‘episodic mobility problems’
According to the Sunday Times, Her Majesty still hopes to attend some of the ceremony, which kicks off four days of celebration to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The news comes as the 96-year-old monarch continues to entrust members of the Royal Family with increased responsibilities as she faces ‘episodic mobility problems’.
Earlier this month, Her Majesty missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years, with Prince Charles and Prince William given power to jointly act at the event on the Queen’s behalf.
She has though made three recent public outings this month, including attending the Windsor Horse Show, star-studded Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Windsor and the opening of the Elizabeth Tube line, appearing in good spirits at all of them.
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