If you thought we'd seen the last of Prince Andrew, think again. The 59-year-old Duke of York made an unofficial return to royal life over the weekend. This was unexpected, as Andrew stepped down from public duties indefinitely in November. The decision came following the royal's disastrous interview with BBC's Newsnight, where he discussed his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Many have noted the lack of details regarding what Andrew's separation from the royal family meant. Because the details were left so hazy, some believed he would eventually make a return. Buckingham Palace was clear that Andrew was still a member of the royal family. He even quietly attended the Queen's Christmas brunch. In the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's departure from their senior roles in the family, there's also been speculation that Andrew's return might be necessary. At the least, the idea that his daughters may have to step up has been widely entertained.
This brings us to the other bit of what might bring Andrew back into the fold. Recently, Buckingham Palace shared details of Princess Beatrice's spring wedding. There's been little doubt that Andrew would be a big part of his oldest daughter's special day. In fact, Beatrice and fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were with Andrew for a dinner with the Chinese ambassador that took place on Saturday.
The situation around Prince Andrew's role in the royal family has been quite tense in recent months. Following the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, many hoped he'd stay silent on the fact the two were friends. While Andrew didn't initially speak out, many on the internet slammed the royal family for sweeping his potential and alleged involvement in any wrongdoing under the rug.
It was these continuous hits to the Duke of York that caused him to speak on the subject. In an interview that was supposed to set the record straight, he floundered. He struggled to condemn Jeffrey and failed to show sympathy for Jeffrey's victims. With his reputation at an all-time low and word that investigators wished to speak to him, he made the decision to "step back from public duties for the foreseeable future."
While people were pleased to see Andrew stepping away, there's always been a feeling that it wouldn't be permanent. The details surrounding what constitutes public duties were never clarified. Instead, the palace emphasized that he's still part of the family.
"He remains a member of the royal family," a royal source said. "As a royal colonel and a war veteran, you can expect to see him at Remembrance Sunday. You can expect to see him on the balcony at Trooping the Colour, too."
Some of the events of recent months led the British public to believe that Andrew's standing in the family might change. One of those events was the decision by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to step down from senior roles in the royal family. It caused concerns that the family would struggle to carry out the number of engagements they typically do without more assistance from other members.
Then there's Princess Beatrice's upcoming wedding. Although details were only shared within the last week, it was expected that she would marry this spring. There was little doubt that Andrew wouldn't be every bit as involved in the celebration as he was in Princess Eugenie's October 2018 wedding.
As it turns out, we wouldn't have to wait until spring to see the re-emergence of Prince Andrew. Andrew, along with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice, and Edoardo, visited Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming. The dinner was considered to be a private function.
Members of the public aren't quite so thrilled. Those who believe that Andrew should stay out of the spotlight feel that diplomatic visits attended by any member of the royal family are, at minimum, representing the royal family and therefore the rest of the country. They don't feel comfortable with Andrew carrying out such roles.
The Chinese ambassador tweeted about the visit, which brought it to the public's attention. "Her Majesty The Queen sent an encouraging message to President Xi and Chinese people: At the critical time of fighting #coronavirus, I express my sincere sympathy for Chinese people, and pray for the speedy control and victory over the virus. It was conveyed by Duke of York," he wrote in the first tweet.
His second tweet clarified that Queen Elizabeth hadn't sent Andrew there. Rather, Andrew was invited. "My wife and I invited Duke of York and his family to our residence and celebrated Chinese New Year," it reads. "Their enthusiasm for China and contribution to China-UK relation is highly appreciated."
When Buckingham Palace was asked to comment on the visit, it refused. "It was a private meeting, we won’t comment on what was, or was not conveyed," was the response ITV's Chris Ship was given. The continued lack of clarification makes it seem as though the palace itself is unclear about Andrew's status.
Whether or not the royal family supports Andrew's return to public life, one thing is clear: His Jeffrey Epstein problem isn't going away anytime soon. As of just two weeks ago, the US attorney in Manhattan commented on Andrew's lack of cooperation in federal investigations into Jeffrey's past.
"To date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation," US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said at a press conference.
Lisa Bloom, who represents several of Jeffrey's accusers, told BBC Newsnight that she was pleased he was mentioned by name. "I’m glad that Geoffrey Berman has gone public to try to embarrass Prince Andrew, who made one statement and then behind closed doors is doing something very different," she commented. There's been no comment from the royal family about the matter.
In another Andrew-related headache, The Sun reported that an email sent by Matt Stevenson, private secretary to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Permanent Secretary Dame Melanie Dawes, reminded local councils to fly the Union Jack for Andrew's 60th birthday on February 19. This was met with outrage as many believe he shouldn't receive the honor. Later, it was clarified that it isn't mandatory for the flags to be flown.
He also won't receive his naval promotion to admiral, which would have been given on his 60th birthday, according to the BBC. "By convention, the Duke of York would be in line for military promotion on his 60th birthday," the news station quoted the palace.
"Following the decision by His Royal Highness to step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, the Duke of York has asked the Ministry of Defence if this promotion might be deferred until such time that His Royal Highness returns to public duty."
The statement, made the day before his dinner with Liu, is the first to make it even remotely clear that the intention is for Andrew to eventually return.
