Has Andrew come in from the cold? William drives the disgraced duke to church as the Royal Family have their first summer break at Balmoral since the Queen’s death
- Andrew was driven to church by William while Catherine sat in back of the car
- King Charles and Camilla were chauffeured to church in Balmoral in a Bentley
Sitting beside Prince William on their way to church yesterday, Prince Andrew appears to be well and truly back in the royal fold.
The disgraced duke, 63, was driven to church by the future king, whose wife Catherine sat in the back seat.
They joined other family members at church in Balmoral as the Royal Family had their first summer break at the estate since the Queen’s death there a year ago.
Charles and Camilla were chauffeured to church in a Bentley. Also in attendance was Lady Susan Hussey, 84 – a lady-in-waiting to the late Queen – nine months after she quit royal duties over a racism row.
Yesterday’s outing for Andrew with the Prince of Wales shows how frosty relations in the Royal Family may be thawing, given that William was said to have been the driving force behind the Queen’s decision to strip him of his titles.
The disgraced duke (right) was driven to church by the future king, whose wife Catherine sat in the back seat
Prince William drives Catherine Princess of Wales from church this morning
Andrew lost his official duties and his place in public life following the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal.
A car crash Newsnight interview in November 2019 was followed by a lawsuit in which former teenage Epstein victim, Virginia Roberts, sued the duke over her claims that he had sex with her while she was under the paedophile financier’s control.
When Andrew vowed to fight the case last January, vehemently denying the allegations as he has always done, he was told to stop using the title His Royal Highness, and all military titles and royal patronages were returned to the late Queen following demands by Charles and William.
Months later, he settled out of court with Ms Roberts for a reported £12million without any admission of wrongdoing.
He is said to believe that a return to public life may be possible.
William drove a Land Rover Defender with his uncle in the front seat on the way to church and his wife, the Princess of Wales, sitting behind. The passengers swapped seats after the service.
There was no sign of the Duchess of York, who has been recovering from breast cancer surgery. She has been staying on the Balmoral Estate with her ex-husband.
Lady Susan Hussey, 84 – a lady-in-waiting to the late Queen – attended nine months after she quit royal duties over a racism row
Andrew was invited on the summer trip by the King, who was said to have offered the olive branch to his brother so the whole family could be together at Balmoral.
The thaw in relations comes after it emerged that a ‘Tory grandee’ appealed to Home Secretary Suella Braverman at a private function to restore Andrew’s £3million-a-year police guards.
The Mail on Sunday said the top Tory ‘sidled up’ to Mrs Braverman to plead the duke’s case after he lost his 24-hour armed detectives following the Epstein scandal.
The senior Tory, a knight, is one of several high-profile figures recruited by the Duke, it was reported. Another is said to have messaged Mrs Braverman.
All approaches are said to have been rejected politely.
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