Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, was allegedly booed by parts of the coronation crowd as he was driven down The Mall in a state car, making his way King Charles’ coronation service.
Although eighth in line to the throne, Andrew’s role in his brother’s ceremony is minimal and, as a non-working member of the royal family, he has not been given a formal part to play, unlike his sister, Princess Anne.
Making a quiet entrance at Westminster Abbey with his daughters and his nephew, Prince Harry, Andrew has not been invited to join in the procession back to Buckingham Palace and he won’t be making an appearance on the balcony, the place of many historic, joyful occasions for his family.
His ex-wife, Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, was not invited to attend the coronation, despite still living with Andrew and retaining a strong relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth, being entrusted with the care of her beloved corgis.
Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are taking a back seat during today's coronation ceremony. Photos / AP
Prince Andrew was stood down as a senior royal after he was caught up with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and accused of sexually assaulting Virginia Giuffre when she was just 17.
The Duke settled his lawsuit with Giuffre for an alleged £12 million (NZ$24 million) but the accusations have shaken the monarchy to its core, resulting in the Duke being stripped of his titles and banished from public royal life.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew, among others. Photo / Getty
Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the claims and seemed prepared to take the high-profile case to court in the US.
In his latest court battle with Virginia Giuffre in March, he was accused of “extreme and outrageous conduct”.
When King Charles ascended the throne, it was widely understood that he intended to “evict” his brother, Prince Andrew, from his palatial home in Windsor and make dramatic cuts to his yearly earnings.
For many years that was made possible by an annual subsidy of £250,000 (NZ$480,030), paid to Andrew out of his mother’s private estate. Control over that money now rests with King Charles III, who is seeking to slim down the British monarchy.
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