On Monday, senior members of the royal family showed their support for King Charles III as he led his first Garter Day service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. The monarch was joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. The event was a magnificent ceremony, but one notable absence was Prince Andrew, who did not attend the service.
Prince Andrew’s Absence
Prince Andrew is a Knight of the Garter, but he was present at the lunch that followed the ceremony, but not the event itself. In November 2019, he stepped down as a working member of the royal family following his controversial TV interview with BBC Newsnight, which focused on his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In January 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth II stripped Andrew of his honorary military roles, and he stopped using the style ‘His Royal Highness’ in any official capacity.
Prince Andrew’s Recent Public Appearances
Despite stepping back as a working member of the royal family, Prince Andrew has made several public appearances since then. He attended the funerals of his parents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and joined the royals on the walk to church as King Charles hosted his first Christmas at Sandringham last December. He was also present at the Easter Sunday service earlier this year. On May 6, he attended his brother King Charles’s historic coronation, wearing the ceremonial robes of the Order of the Garter.
Prince Andrew’s Absence at Brother’s Birthday Parade
Most recently, Prince Andrew was absent from his brother’s birthday parade, which was attended only by working members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales. The monarch rode on horseback alongside his heir and eldest son, the Prince of Wales, and his younger siblings, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh. Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales, and Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were also in attendance.
The royal family showed their support for King Charles III as he led his first Garter Day service, but Prince Andrew’s absence raised eyebrows. Despite stepping back from his duties, he has made several public appearances, but he was notably absent from his brother’s birthday parade.
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