The British royal family stepped back onto the world stage on Saturday with a show of unity at the Trooping the Colour. And just two days later, they gathered again for the annual Order of the Garter procession at Windsor Castle.
Both events are steeped in history and are of great importance in the royal calendar. But there was one family member who was not allowed to attend either.
The Order of the Garter, which was established in 1348 by King Edward III, is the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain. King Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince William are all members, as is Prince Andrew, who has been a Knight of the Garter since 2006.
Andrew has been a Knight of the Garter since 2006 (UK Press via Getty Images)
The Duke of York attending the Christmas Day morning church service in Sandringham in 2022 (PA)However, he was a no-show at Monday's procession. Andrew last attended the Garter Day service in 2019. The event was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and in 2022, Prince Andrew was absent from the public-facing procession, although he did attend the investiture and the lunch.
It was reported that he was excluded from the procession following an intervention by his brother Charles and his nephew William, who both strongly objected to his presence.
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Andrew stepped down as a working member of the royal family in 2020 following his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in which he spoke about his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Then, in January 2022, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Andrew's military titles and royal patronages had been returned to the Queen. A statement read: "With the Queen's approval and agreement, the Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen. "The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."
Relations between Andrew and his older brother King Charles are said to be strained (Getty Images)Andrew's relationship with older brother King Charles is said to be increasingly fraught - particularly when it comes to retaining his home, Royal Lodge. The 75-year-old monarch is believed to be encouraging his scandal-ridden brother to vacate the 30-room property in Windsor and move into Frogmore Cottage.
Royal author and expert Tom Quinn previously told the Mirror: "For King Charles, forcing Andrew to move to Frogmore solves several problems at once - it sends a message to Harry that, as a private citizen and no longer a working royal, he will never be allowed back to Frogmore.
"It sends [a] message to Andrew that having disgraced himself, he can no longer expect to live in the grand style. And, finally, it means that a suitably grand residence can be made ready for the royals who really matter - William and Kate. Charles is determined that Royal Lodge is the only residence on the royal estate at Windsor that is big enough and regal enough for his heir."
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