King Charles reportedly overruled Prince William by ordering the family to fall in line and welcome Prince Andrew back into the royal fold.
The monarch has made it clear to senior royals that Prince Andrew would not be shut out any longer from family life and suggested Prince William would be the one to drive him to church in Scotland last Sunday, it has been claimed.
His appearance alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales, while knowing they would all be photographed, has been seen as a major boost towards Prince Andrew’s rehabilitation.
It could be seen as a public declaration of support from William and Kate, with Andrew riding in the car to and from the service in Balmoral, with one source telling the Mirror: “It’s more than he (Andrew) could have wished for.”
The Mirror reported the King has had several conversations with his brother and decided, while he will not return to public duties as would be the Duke’s preference, he should be welcomed back into the fold.
The source added: “The King feels he has an awful lot on his in-tray and this is one issue he wants to draw a line under.”
The Royal Family at the late Prince Philip’s funeral (Image: Getty)
Royal sources have deemed the support for Andrew a remarkable turn of events after the late Queen stripped him of his prized military titles and charity patronages after he was forced to pay his sex abuse accuser £12million.
The settlement was made without any admission of liability and Prince Andrew has denied the allegation.
In November 2019, ‘Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal’ was aired on Newsnight on the BBCand questioned the Prince’s relationship with Virginia Roberts Giuffre who alleged he sexually assaulted her.
He was also quizzed by broadcaster Emily Maitlis about his friendship with late billionaire convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Another insider told the Mirror that while William may have attended private functions with his uncle, namely last Christmas at Sandringham, he had absolutely no desire to be seen with the Duke in public.
Another source added: “It appears he may have had his wings clipped somewhat.”
Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, who raised a bill in parliament seeking to strip the royal of his Duke of York title, said “any perceived public rehabilitation” for Prince Andrew would be “unpalatable”.
People have welcomed the slimming down of the monarchy, both in terms of royals and vast numbers of staff working for them.
As Prince of Wales, King Charles III was vocal about his desire for a “slimmed-down” monarchy, which would see fewer working members of the Royal Family and a less costly institution.
