King Charles might be standing his ground as far as his relationship with Prince Harry is concerned, but he seems to be a little more lenient when it comes to his younger brother, Prince Andrew.
The King, 76, reportedly extended an olive branch to the “disgraced” royal for this year’s Order of the Garter service on June 16th, and allowed him to participate in some of the event’s private festivities. Notably, he was listed in the Court Circular for the first time since stepping down from royal duties in 2019. But as expected, this move has been met with some criticism!
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Prince Andrew Attends Private Garter Day Celebrations
The entry for June 16th reportedly read: "The King and Queen gave a Luncheon Party for the Companions of the Most Noble Order of the Garter at which The Prince of Wales, The Duke of York, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal and Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and The Duke of Kent were present."
This marks Prince Andrew's first Garter Day appearance since 2022, when he attended alongside his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. He has not taken part in the event since being stripped of his royal duties amid sexual abuse allegations from Virginia Giuffre and his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While many of his honors were rescinded, he remains a Knight of the Garter, which again, has been met with criticism.
Prince Andrew's Private Inclusion Is Seen As A 'Compromise By Both Sides'
According to reports, the Duke of York was still very much banned from the Order of the Garter ceremony, but was allowed to attend the private lunch hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla before the grand procession.
"He won't participate in the procession but he has been invited to the lunch and investiture," an insider told the Express ahead of time.
As per the pub, the insider explained that "the inclusion in the private aspects is seen as a compromise by both sides." According to Marie Claire, another source echoed this sentiment, and claimed that the monarch has reached a "special agreement" with his younger brother.
Internet Reactions
"The fact he is still a Knight of the Garter casts a rather dismaying pall over the honour... unfortunately," slammed one reader in the comment section of an article on The Express. "If he had any dignity he wouldn't attend at all, but he hasn't," commented a second.
"The Prince of Doom and Darkness should not even be at the lunch!" exclaimed a third outraged reader, as a fourth disgruntled reader added: "He deserves a lot more than being banned from a procession, but of course they are above the law."
