In the court of public opinion, there is no doubt that it was the right decision. A positive Covid-19 test, and some pointed out that it was fortuitous, had already prevented another public relations crisis after Prince Andrew was out of the only jubilee event he had been allowed to attend: a service. thanksgiving.
There was a palpable relief from the courtiers who were unable to re-enter the royal proceedings, this time in front of an estimated global audience of about a billion.
And then, after less than a week of peace and quiet, came the briefings that the Duke of York was reflecting on his return to public life with some support from the palace and, according to The Telegraph, asks papers, including his colonel. of the Grenadier Guard, back.
“He focused his mind,” a source said. “It simply came to our notice then [Andrew] future expectations.
“It’s not just for the good of the family, it’s also for their own good.”
League Day, with its colorful game of knights and royal ladies with its feather hats and velvet tunics, was not the place for a duke without a wallet.
There is no place in official public duty
The queen, sources said, was willing to listen to the opinion of her two heirs, both of whom have been adamant that Andrew has no place in official public duty after his “step back”.
Prince Charles and the Duke of Cambridge may not have been able to stop Prince Andrew from taking the lead in the Thanksgiving service for the Duke of Edinburgh, where he was photographed in the Queen’s arms, but they prevailed.
This time, the Duke of Cambridge uttered words with the effect of “it’s him or me” for League Day, it was stated on Monday.
A source close to the Duke of York initially said it was his own decision to retire from full attendance on an internal role only.
With two future kings already agreeing on the future public of the Duke of York – limited to non-existent – the phone calls were on point. Long after the Garter Day program had been sent to printers, showing the Duke of York originally in procession, the Queen made the final call this weekend, smoothing things out to reach an agreement with Prince Andrew as only she could.
“There are two roles in this situation, a mother and a monarch, and the queen looks at it both ways,” a source said. “A mother will always be interested in the well-being of her child.
“When it comes to the monarchy, there are other people in the family who are now also entitled to a vision.”
It was, another source said, an exercise in “clarity” for a duke who still demands more of his royal responsibility.
“There’s a difference between constantly asking and receiving,” one said. “Mothers have a way of gently disappointing us, sometimes because we don’t even realize it.”
And so the duke was still invited to lunch, joining his family and his fellow knights and fellow ladies. Despite remaining a member of the Order of the League, he was not photographed, except driving to the castle from the nearby Royal Lodge in his normal suit and tie.