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Prince Andrew Joins Easter Celebrations with Royal Family

On April 20, Prince Andrew made a notable appearance alongside King Charles and other royal family members during their Easter church service, despite having distanced himself from royal duties since 2019 due to controversies surrounding his past.

The 65-year-old Duke of York attended the service in a vehicle with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. They were joined by Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, along with Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who brought their husbands along for the family occasion.

Prince Andrew’s step back from public engagements followed a highly scrutinized BBC interview regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. In early 2022, he faced further consequences when Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages after he sought to have a lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre dismissed.

He has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to the allegations and reached a confidential settlement with Giuffre in February 2022.

Although Prince Andrew has withdrawn from official royal duties, he continues to partake in significant family gatherings, such as Easter and Christmas events. This year’s Easter marks his attendance, similar to previous years, although he chose to skip Christmas festivities in 2024, facing criticism over an alleged association with a suspected Chinese spy. He did not participate in the traditional Christmas luncheon or church outing that year.

In recent developments, Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement concerning Prince Andrew, addressing the nature of meetings between him, former aide Dominic Hampshire, and King Charles. Allegations surfaced suggesting that discussions revolved around the Eurasia Fund, a project initiated by Andrew meant to connect Chinese investments with renewable energy ventures in Africa, which has drawn scrutiny due to its links to an alleged espionage case. Yang Tengbo, associated with the fund, was banned from the UK in December 2024 for national security reasons.

The palace clarified, stating, “While His Majesty met with the Duke and his adviser to hear outline proposals for independent funding over the past year, the individual known as H6 was not mentioned at any time or in any way as part of these discussions.”

Source
people.com