News broke this weekend that Prince Andrew has been pushing to return to royal duties. The Duke of York had reportedly asked the Queen to reinstate his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards after he was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in January having paid millions toVirginia Giuffre to settle a sexual assault case.
‘The colonelcy of the Grenadier Guards was his most coveted title and he wants it back,’ the Telegraph quoted a royal source. ‘Having remained a Counsellor of the State, he also believes he should be included at royal and state events.’
Reportedly, the Duke of York made clear he wants to attend official engagements alongside the rest of the royal family. Yet, despite originally being included on the order of service for today’s Garter Ceremony at Windsor Castle, it has since been reported he won’t attend the annual service in St George’s Chapel thanks to a last-minute intervention.
The Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge and other senior royals feared there would be ‘backlash’ if Prince Andrew attended, the Sun reported. William and Charles were said to have discussed their opinion on the matter before discussing their thoughts with the Queen, who made the final decision.
Today’s ceremony is the first time the Garter Day ceremony has returned to Windsor Castle due to the pandemic. It’s one of the most traditional ceremonies in the royal calender and sees a large procession of knights and order officers take part in the tradition that dates back to 1348.
Prince Andrew wanted to join the rest of his family and other Garter Knights for the ceremony at Windsor Castle, followed by a members’ lunch and commentators had suggested that Andrew being cleared to attend the event was the first step in him returning to public life. However, the decision has since been reversed and the Duke of York will only be able attend the private sections of the day.
Will the Queen be at the Garter Day service?
The Queen is the Sovereign of the Garter and therefore expected to lead the Knights in a procession. During the service, the Queen also appoints new members of the Order, which recognises them for public service. However, it’s thought the Queen won’t attend today as she wasn’t included in the Order of the Service but Buckingham Palace won’t confirm or deny the monarch’s attendance until a few hours before the ceremony starts.
What is the Order of the Garter?
The Order of the Garter was set up by King Edward III and is the oldest order of chivalry in Britain. The Queen personally chooses which senior members of the royal family can join and also appoints another 24 people who have contributed to national life.
Who are the Order of the Garter members?
Currently, Sir John Major, the former Bank of England Govenor Mervyn King and the previous MI5 boss Eliza Manningham-Buller are members Order of the Garter members. Historically, Prince Philip and Winston Churchill were also included in the exclusive club.