Prince Andrew ‘causing almighty row’ says commentator

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The Duke of York is reportedly pushing for his daughters to become working members of the Royal Family. But royal biographer Nigel Cawthorne said Andrew’s bid for Beatrice, 33, and Eugenie, 32, is unlikely to happen unless he agrees to vanish from public life in exchange.

Mr Cawthorne, author of Prince Andrew: Maxwell, Epstein and the Palace, told Express.co.uk: “Prince Andrew has tried this before.

“The Princesses have behaved well throughout their father’s mishandling of the Maxwell-Epstein affair.

“However, unless he makes his disappearance from the public eye the bargaining chip for their advancement, it is difficult to see how the House of York can regain a seat at the palace’s front line.”

Mr Cawthorne’s comments come after the Telegraph reported the Queen’s second son was pushing for Beatrice and Eugenie to be made working royals.

While the sisters appear at some royal events they both currently have their own jobs outside of the monarchy.

Beatrice works for US software company Afiniti and Eugenie is a director at Hauser & Wirth art gallery.

However, the Royal Family has been left short of working royals following the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

It comes as Andrew is also said to be eyeing up his own comeback and wants his royal status “reinstated, recognised and respected”.

But he was forced to stay out of sight during Garter Day on Monday after a “family decision” to limit his appearance at what is one of the most colourful events in the royal calendar.

The Duke did not join Prince Charles, Prince William and other senior royals in the procession through the grounds of Windsor Castle for a church service commemorating the Order of the Garter.

He only attended the behind-the-scenes lunch and investiture ceremony.

The occasion laid bare the Royal Family’s problem of what formal role, if any, Andrew can play.

And it exposed the internal struggle between senior royals and the Duke’s reported desire to be reinstated.

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge are understood to have lobbied the Queen about Andrew’s participation in Garter Day.

Andrew stepped down from public life in 2019 after the furore over his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

His reputation has also been severely tarnished by his involvement in a civil sexual assault case brought against him in the US by Virginia Giuffre.

The Duke has always strenuously denied the allegations and the settlement of the lawsuit earlier this year was not an admission of guilt on his part.

Andrew, who is rumoured to be the Queen’s favourite child, sparked controversy by taking a front and centre role escorting the monarch to Prince Philip’s memorial service in March.

He was absent from the recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations after testing positive for Covid.

Express.co.uk has contacted representatives for the Duke for comment.

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