Royal experts were unsure whether The Queen would be well enough to attend her late husband Prince Philip’s memorial at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday, March 29th until the very last moment; so naturally the world was delighted when the 95-year-old monarch arrived. Albeit, through the side entrance. However, according to royal biographer Omid Scobie, many felt that The Queen’s presence and the entire ceremony as a whole was “overshadowed” due to the fact that disgraced son Prince Andrew – who has been stripped of most of his royal titles following his sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre – was the one who accompanied her to her seat. It was also Prince Andrew’s first public appearance since reaching a multi-million-pound settlement with Giuffre.
According to The Daily Mail, many senior members of the royal family were “dismayed” by Prince Andrew’s role in the ceremony, while other reports also suggested that the Duke of York allegedly “insisted” to walk his mother to the front of the congregation, which reportedly came as a “shock” to many. Scobie took to Twitter to share his thoughts, writing: “His presence was always going to be controversial, but Prince Andrew taking on the self-appointed role of consort for the day has completely overshadowed a beautiful service. And to think just a week ago palace sources were fretting about the optics of a *wheelchair*”
His presence was always going to be controversial, but Prince Andrew taking on the self-appointed role of consort for the day has completely overshadowed a beautiful service. And to think just a week ago palace sources were fretting about the optics of a *wheelchair*. pic.twitter.com/8qG70bO94M
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 29, 2022
However, as expected, and akin to Prince Andrew accompanying his mother, Scobie’s comment was met with some controversy, especially by Evening Standard royal editor, Robert Jobson, who questioned Scobie’s comment about Prince Andrew’s alleged self appointment. “I broke the story. It was not a self appointed role Omid,” Jobson replied. “It was Her Majesty’s wish and decision. The family bowed to the decision,” he clarified.
Scobie replied to Jobson’s comment by confirming that everyone was “surprised” to see Prince Andrew “personally escort” Her Majesty to her seat. “But the guidance today suggested that, while family were aware of the decision for Andrew to be in the car, it was a surprise to all that he personally escorted the Queen in the procession instead of the Dean of Windsor,” he wrote.
Many other people took The Queen's side on Twitter, flooding the comments section of Scobie's post to suggest that her late husband's memorial was a family event, and in her eyes, Prince Andrew will always be family. "It’s almost as if people have forgotten the royals are a family," one user wrote. "I still think in the circumstances of the occasion that she wanted her son to escort her. Her Majesty’s decision on the day of her husband and his father’s memorial. It was ok," another user added. "The man was his father!" noted another user, while another wrote, "It was what HMTQ wanted on this very difficult day. Respect her wishes."
Others, however, weren’t so fond of Prince Andrew's role in the memorial. "I get it was a rough day and she just wanted to be with family but Andrew should've been bigger better and stayed his gross [expletive] in the back or at home I mean [expletive]!" one user exclaimed. "No one said he couldn’t attend but did he have to be front and centre?" asked another. "Her Majesty and her child sex trafficking son. Good time," commented another user. Another Twitter user wrote: "Queen can't have it both ways.. she's a mother & will love her son to her dying day.. but she's also Head of State..hghest representatve of the UK.. service to Country & all that. Andrew dsplayed abhorrent behavior & should've been relegated to the back of the pew."
Elsewhere, former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt brought Prince Charles and Prince William into the conversation, suggesting that perhaps they could have intervened, saying: "Either Charles and William didn’t intervene – or they did and failed to stop the prince performing such a high profile role at his father’s memorial service."
According to The Independent, Hunt also told the PA news agency that Prince Andrew’s role in the memorial "didn’t happen by chance," adding: "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. So she has chosen, in essence, to remind people that he hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing, he’s not guilty of anything, he’s innocent. And she’s very clearly stating that he had a role at family occasions."
