Prince William is “furious” at Prince Andrew’s appearance at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral, it is reported.
Members of the public gasped when the Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson made un an expected arrival at the ceremony on Tuesday. Following the emotional service at Westminster Abbey, Andrew, 65, was pictured seeming to laugh and smile while other senior members of the Royal Family appeared sombre.
It is said to have particularly upset William, Prince of Wales, who has reportedly been determined “not be photographed” with his uncle in recent times. Andrew Lownie, a royal author, wrote: “William, meanwhile, was ‘furious’ at being ambushed in this way, according to friends.
“He has been at pain to distance himself from his uncle and not be photographed with him. He believes his father has not dealt with him with sufficient firmness and that Andrew – and Sarah Ferguson – have done much to undermine the good work of other members of the Royal Family.”
Prince William is photographed beside his uncle, the Duke of York, at the funeral(Image: Max Mumby)
The Duke of York was accused of sexual abuse by one of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent victims, Virginia Giuffre. Father-of-two Andrew has denied these accusations.
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But Mr Lownie understands “a personal element” has also led William to keep a low profile from Andrew in recent years. In the Daily Mail, he added: “Apart from concerns about reputational damage, there is also a personal element here which goes back long before the Epstein affair. Andrew is said to have been unwelcoming and rude to Kate when William was dating her – and William supposedly has never forgotten it.
“King Charles, for his part, is caught in a difficult position. A courteous and forgiving man who feels Andrew and Sarah Ferguson should be included in family events, he is also acutely aware of how toxic his brother and sister-in-law are to the royal brand.”
The monarch was pictured making polite conversation with both Andrew and Sarah who, despite their divorce in 1996 after a decade of marriage, still live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire. They travelled together from the residence on Tuesday – guided by a police escort – to Westminster Cathedral for the funeral of Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, who died aged 92 on Thursday September 4.
But Andrew’s appearance came just hours before many senior members of the Royal Family – including the Prince and Princess of Wales – were to cosy up with Donald Trump on his state visit. The Royal Family are being deployed, this week, as part of the country’s soft power to indulge Mr Trump amid conflicts abroad.
The President, though, relished the glow of the royal spectacle at Windsor Castle last night during a lavish state banquet. The politician was earlier greeted by Charles, military honour guards and mounted troops, before he paid a private tribute at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.
