Prince Andrew: Expert discusses ‘specific uniform’ request

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Philip’s funeral earlier this month saw the Royal Family reunite for the first time in more than a year. Andrew had not carried out any public engagements since November 2019, when he stepped down from royal life following his ‘car-crash’ BBC Newsnight interview. He agreed to a no-holds-barred interview about his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein amid growing public scrutiny, only for it to backfire spectacularly.

Andrew released a statement acknowledging that his link to Epstein was “a major disruption to my family’s work”, and that he was going to “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future”.

However, there was widespread speculation that the Duke of York was trying to rehabilitate his image after Philip’s death, as he spoke directly to the press for the first time since retiring.

There were claims he had even tried to wear a Navy Admiral’s uniform for the funeral service before the Queen ruled out any military dress for the occasion.

He was a Vice-Admiral at the time of his retirement, but was due to be promoted to Admiral for his 60th birthday — he allegedly offered to defer the honour until he could clear his name.

Days before Philip’s funeral, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams claimed Andrew would “obviously like to be rehabilitated” — although sources close to the royal said he had “neither wish nor intention” to distract from the service.

Even so, the BBC received complaints about including the Duke of York in its coverage of Philip’s death.

Author Ingrid Seward also explained in her biography, ‘Prince Philip Revealed’ that Andrew’s behaviour had actually greatly “troubled” Philip for several years.

Describing Andrew’s retirement, she claimed: “To see his son’s demise through his own stupidity, arrogance and sense of self-entitlement reminded Philip why he used to lose his temper with Andrew in the first place and tell him what a fool he was.”

She continued: “It was a bitter pill for a man entering his Sixties and, for Prince Philip and the Queen, their son’s failure of judgement was a tragedy.”

She alleged that Andrew became “something of a problem” later in life for the royal stalwart, as he struggled to find an appropriate role within the monarchy.

She pointed out that the Duke of York’s struggles contributed to a “depressing appraisal” for Philip when it came to his descendants.

Indeed, it was thought that Andrew was going to be “airbrushed” out of Philip’s 100th birthday celebrations, were they to have gone ahead this June.

A source told The Sun last September: “There is a warning from up high to play down Andrew.

“He will be included as little as possible.

“It’s not whitewashing history because you cannot leave him out entirely.

“But it will not make a big deal of his relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh over the years.

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“This is obviously proving difficult because he is his son and it is playing down his role in the family.”

The source also claimed that he would be “airbrushed” out of the Royal Family and was not going to be invited to the elaborate public celebration.

Andrew and Philip were thought to be very close when the Duke of York was younger, especially as they both saw active service with the Navy.

However, writing before the Duke of Edinburgh’s death, Ms Seward speculated that “whatever discomfort Prince Philip’s ailments may be causing him” they do not compare to the “disappointment and dismay” Andrew’s “antics with Epstein must be causing him”.

Ms Seward continued: “He could have taken heed from his father, who warned him of the dangers of being used, especially by what he described as ‘seedy billionaires’ looking for a pet royal to elevate their own status.

“Andrew allowed himself to be seduced by the rich and powerful whose only interest was his royal connection and the doors it could open for them.”

Andrew is thought to have been introduced to Epstein through his friend, socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.

The FBI arrested her last July as part of the authorities’ onoging investigation into a potential international sex trafficking ring led by Epstein.

She will be going on trial this summer.

She has been charged with a range of offences, including sex trafficking a minor and sex trafficking conspiracy.

Ms Maxwell has pleaded not guilty.

‘Prince Philip Revealed: A Man of His Century’ by Ingrid Seward was published by Simon & Schuster in 2020 and is available here.

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