“With Prince Andrew, I think we all need to step back a little bit. He’s looking to fix it,” the Archbishop of Canterbury told Tom Bradby.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has told ITV News that Prince Andrew is “seeking redress” after resolving his sexual abuse lawsuit and we must “learn to be a more open and lenient society”.
The Rev. Justin Welby was asked in an interview with News At Ten presenter Tom Bradby whether the upcoming Jubilee celebrations offer the public a chance to unite and forgive the Duke of York, who has always denied any wrong done.
The archbishop said he acknowledged that “in fact there are very deep feelings”, with issues of abuse “intensely personal and private” and that it was not right “to explain to people how they should respond about it”.
“We have become a very relentless society,” he said.
“It’s really an extraordinary thing to celebrate” – Rev. Justin Welby on His Majesty’s 70th year on the throne and what it means for the country
“We all have to step back a little bit. He’s looking to fix himself and I think that’s really good.”
The archbishop also said the queen was “fully entitled” to be accompanied by Andrew to Prince Philip’s memorial service in March, despite public criticism.
The monarch has limited the appearance of the Trooping The Color balcony to working members of her family, meaning the Duke of York along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who retired as senior members of the royal family in 2019 and moved to California. not to be there.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will miss a Thanksgiving jubilee service after testing positive for Covid-19 on Monday. He is resting at home and has canceled all his appointments this week.
Listen to Tom Bradby’s full interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury on the podcast What You Need to Know
In an interview with ITV News, he paid tribute to the queen and her long reign, saying that her 70 years on the throne were “something extraordinary to celebrate” and that it has provided coherence and stability to the country, and he waits for the spirit of jubilation to rise. the nation at a difficult time.
Welby described her as “probably the most trusted person in the country.”
The Queen made the trip to Westminster Abbey with her son Prince Andrew Credit: AP
“If we go back, 1952 was a pretty tough time for a lot of people. We were in the middle of the Korean War, the Cold War was coming to its peak, people were very worried about the war. nuclear.
“The Queen has passed from this moment to this moment as the only point of absolute coherence in the life of the nation and that is to say, I think it is a golden thread that goes back 70 years. And to celebrate it is a great thing. “I think it will lift people’s spirits.”
The Queen has missed several public appearances recently and is expected to catch up during the Jubilee weekend.
The Archbishop of Canterbury told ITV News that Queen Elizabeth’s reign was “extraordinary to celebrate”. Credit: PA
When asked if he believed there would be a greater transition of powers to his son and heir, Prince Charles, Welby said we should “accept it as it is.” He told Tom Bradby, “She knows herself very well. She’s very self-aware. And we’re seeing that change is slowly being introduced, quite reasonably, at 96. She’ll do the right thing. “.