Prince Andrew could still appear at Queen's Jubilee celebrations
Prince Andrew has been omitted from the Queen's Jubilee balcony line-up, but could yet make a high-profile appearance during the celebrations.
While the Queen has stopped the Duke of York from appearing on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour on 2 June, a Palace source quoted by PA said "other family members will be invited to events" during other parts of the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
It follows the backlash from the duke’s surprise public appearance alongside the Queen at the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service in March.
Prince Andrew, who just weeks prior had paid millions out of court to settle a civil sexual assault case with a woman he said he had never met, accompanied the monarch - who held on to his elbow - to her seat in a shock move in Westminster Abbey.
The duke had been banished from royal life, first bowing out of royal duties in 2019 after his disastrous Newsnight appearance over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In January, he was stripped of his honorary military titles and patronages by the Queen, and forced to relinquish using his HRH style amid his legal battle.
Virginia Giuffre was suing him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein.
Trooping the Colour – the sovereign’s official birthday parade – will kickstart four days of Jubilee festivities and Andrew's exclusion is a symbolic move. Eighteen members of the royal family are set to gather on the balcony.
Watch: Prince Andrew and Queen walk arm-in-arm at Prince Philip's memorial
Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who quit the monarchy for a new life in the US two years ago, have also been omitted from the Trooping the Colour balcony celebration but like Andrew, could appear in other parts of the weekend.
The monarch’s decision to only include royals carrying out official public duties was taken “after careful consideration”, Buckingham Palace said.
However, the Queen made an exception for Princess Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim, who is not a working royal, her two youngest grandchildren Lady Louise and James, and her Cambridge great-grandchildren George, Charlotte and Louis.
Read more: State Opening of Parliament: When is it and will the Queen attend?
A Palace source said: “Other family members will be invited to events. We’ve always made that clear and they are likely to be public events.”
Other events include a service of thanksgiving - set to be attended by Her Majesty - at St Paul’s Cathedral on 3 June, and the 18th century Gold State Coach appearing on the streets of London for the first time in 20 years when it leads the Jubilee Pageant procession on 5 June.
The Queen, who has been experiencing mobility and other health issues, is also expected to appear at the Epsom Derby but final decisions on her appearances across the weekend are not likely to be confirmed until the first day of the four-day bank holiday weekend.
