Amid ongoing speculation about Queen Elizabeth’s health, the monarch attended a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday in honor of her late husband, Prince Philip.
It was the first public outing in more than five months for the queen to reach into the arms of her son, Prince Andrew, and use a cane. The 95-year-old queen has suffered health problems in recent months, including a collision with COVID-19 in February.
The embarrassed Duke of York, who resigned from the king’s duties over a scandal involving a relationship with the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, played an unusual role in Tuesday’s events. He drove with the Queen from Windsor, where she lived, to the abbey and drove from her side door to her home.
Many acquaintances of the royal family were shocked by Andrea’s presence, even though it was first announced that she would attend the ceremony. The prince was removed from all ranks of military and royal patronage in January, and last month agreed to a sexual assault case.
I saw Prince Andrew traveling with His Majesty towards the memory of Prince Philip
I am in favor of rehabilitation, but it starts with doing justice, accountability and trying to restore the trust of the victims.
None of them are here yet pic.twitter.com/wOyyksDRl2– nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) March 29, 2022
This is actually embarrassing.
No one has been hurt more in the royal family recently than Prince Andrew.
Giving her the primary role of “mother’s wife” is pretty ridiculous.
How much again did he pay the mummy’s legal fees? https://t.co/elbboOCMTF
– Charlie Proctor (@MonarchyUK) March 29, 2022
It shows how few members of the royal family understand the public’s hatred of Prince Andrew. For victims of sex trafficking, watching Andrew next to the head of state was a chore so it refuted the serious allegations in the weeks following the payment of millions. https://t.co/zgftlmxHBd
– Benjamin Butterworth (@benjaminbutter) March 29, 2022
The Queen supports Andrew after paying millions to a woman he says he can’t remember meeting him. Either Charles and William did not intervene, or they intervened and could not prevent the prince from playing such an important role in the funeral service for his father. pic.twitter.com/yyMm8mIAjl
– Peter Hunt (@_PeterHunt) March 29, 2022
Andrew, who has long been criticized for his relationship with Epstein, quit his royal duties in 2019 after a devastating interview with BBC Newsnight. Shortly thereafter, the queen was photographed with Andrew on horseback as a sign of apparent support.
The duke expects to return to royal duties at some point, but is increasingly involved in the Epstein scandal. Virginia Joffre filed a lawsuit in August 2021 accusing the royal family of sexual assaults and violence in 2001 when she was a minor. Andrew denied his allegations.
In January, as the trial continued, the Duke revoked his military and royal patronage titles, a move he claimed was supported by Queen Elizabeth and Andrew themselves, according to Buckingham Palace.
“With the Queen’s permission and consent, the military property and the royal patronage of the Duke of York have been returned to the Queen,” the palace said in a statement the day after the federal judge dismissed Andrew’s motion. file a civil case. “The Duke of York continues to perform no public duty and protects this case as a private person.”
Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Joufrey in February and made a “substantial donation” to support his victims ’rights to his charity, his attorney David Boyce said in a statement.
The donation was $ 16.3 million including the Queen’s donation. The Telegraph reported.
Other members of the royal family also attended services in honor of Prince Philip, including Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla; Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex; And Prince William and Kate Middleton and their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince Harry had previously said he would not attend, even though he attended his grandfather’s funeral last year.
The Duke of Edinburgh died on 9 April 2021, at the age of 99, he had been married to the Queen for over 70 years.
His funeral was relatively free due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The service on Tuesday was an opportunity to remember Philip, allowing members of the royal family from around the world, members of the military and government officials to pay their respects.
Source: Huffpost
