Prince William is “furious” at Prince Andrew’s appearance at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral, it is reported.
Members of the public gasped when the Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson made an unexpected arrival at the ceremony on Tuesday.
Following the emotional service at Westminster Abbey, Andrew, 65, was pictured seeming to laugh and smile while other senior members of the Royal Family appeared sombre. The news emerges as ‘smug’ Prince Andrew disgusts royal fans after ‘frosty’ exchange with Prince William.
It is said to have particularly upset William, Prince of Wales, who has reportedly been determined “not be photographed” with his uncle in recent times.
Andrew Lownie, a Royal author, wrote: “William, meanwhile, was ‘furious’ at being ambushed in this way, according to friends,” reports the Mirror.
“He has been at pains to distance himself from his uncle and not be photographed with him. He believes his father has not dealt with him with sufficient firmness and that Andrew – and Sarah Ferguson – have done much to undermine the good work of other members of the Royal Family.”
The Duke of York was accused of sexual abuse by one of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent victims, Virginia Giuffre.
Father-of-two Andrew has denied these accusations. Mr Lownie believes that a “a personal element” has contributed to Prince William’s distance from Prince Andrew in recent years.
He told the Daily Mail: “Apart from concerns about reputational damage, there is also a personal element here which goes back long before the Epstein affair. Andrew is said to have been unwelcoming and rude to Kate when William was dating her – and William supposedly has never forgotten it.
“Prince Charles, meanwhile, finds himself in a tricky situation. A gracious and forgiving man who believes Andrew and Sarah Ferguson should be included in family events, he is also acutely aware of how damaging his brother and sister-in-law can be to the Royal image.”
The Queen was seen engaging in polite conversation with both Andrew and Sarah, who despite divorcing in 1996 after ten years of marriage, continue to cohabit at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire. They journeyed together from their home on Tuesday, escorted by police, to Westminster Cathedral for the funeral of Katharine, the wife of the late Duke of Kent, the Queen’s cousin, who passed away aged 92 on Thursday, September 4.
However, Andrew’s appearance occurred just hours before many high-ranking members of the Royal Family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, were set to meet with Donald Trump during his state visit. The Royal Family are being utilised this week as part of the nation’s soft power strategy to appease Mr Trump amidst international disputes.
The President, however, basked in the grandeur of the Royal spectacle at Windsor Castle last night during an opulent state banquet. The statesman was earlier welcomed by Charles, military honour guards and mounted troops, before he paid a private tribute at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.