Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II deprived of a royal role after accusations of sexual assault, will not wear military uniform during ceremonies in tribute to his mother, the PA agency said on Monday.
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Forever deprived of a royal role after accusations of sexual assault which he ended by paying several million dollars, Andrew, 62, is often presented as “the favorite son” of Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at 96.
But as a non-working member of the royal family, he will not wear military uniform for the five ceremonies planned to honor the monarch in Edinburgh, London and Windsor.
An exception will be made, however, for the vigil in the British Parliament, where the Queen’s coffin will be exhibited from Wednesday evening to Monday morning, according to sources cited by PA.
A former helicopter pilot, the prince took part in the Falklands war in 1982 and it was planned, before his retirement, that he would receive the honorary rank of admiral for his 60th birthday.
Already in June, Prince Andrew, suffering from COVID-19, had been absent from the celebrations marking the 70 years of reign of Elizabeth II.
But even before he tested positive, the Queen had made it known that he would not be allowed to join the Royal Family on the Buckingham balcony to wave to the crowds anyway, with that honor going to family members alone. working” for the monarchy and their children.
Last March, the appearance of Prince Andrew on the arm of the sovereign at Westminster Abbey, for the ceremony in memory of Prince Philip, her husband who died last year, was poorly received by part of the opinion British public.
In 2021, for the funeral of Prince Philip, the sovereign had decided that the whole family would go to the funeral in civilian clothes, making it possible to avoid deciding on the right of Harry and Andrew to wear the uniform.