Who advised the Queen to walk into the Abbey escorted by Andrew??

[TinyTortoise]

This seems to be the most tone deaf and damaging decision. It's a public facing event with international leaders and royals. If it was a closed family gathering I could understand it - he is her son still- but why on earth would they allow him to escort her to her seat?! He should be invisible from now on and never represent the RF again. He could have attended and stood somewhere out of the way. She could have chosen anyone to escort her. It's staggeringly awful!

It makes me think she is past caring, so perhaps more poorly than we think. H&M have let her down, K&W tour was a disaster to the commonwealth, Andrew is involved with convicted criminals, her beloved husband died in the middle of the pandemic - perhaps she has simply stopped caring. At that age there must be a limit to what you can take.

Still think it will go down very badly though

Except that the headlines across BBC, Times, Guardian and no doubt elsewhere are "Prince Andrew escorts Queen..." and not about the memorial.

Only the Times has it as a headline.

Everywhere else is focussing on the Queen or Philip and the memorial.

I bet Andrew is delighted.

He is her son.

I imagine most of us would stand by our sons. The mothers of murderers stand by them.

Would any of us discard our son if he was found guilty of murder?

Maybe some would but I wouldn't.

Her favourite son 😂😂

What do you find funny? Genuine question!

I thought it was a clever move. It gave him a good reason to enter and leave by the side door away from any crowds who may have been waiting outside to jeer without making it obvious that they were worried about his reception from the public.

I think some of the frothers on this thread need to realise that not everyone believes PA was guilty.

If he had sex with that woman she was of age so to call him a paedo is just ignorant stupidity.

He's a creep and a lech, I believe. But I don't believe everything that has been said about him. I can't stand him but the "holier than thou ranting of some mumsnetters is nauseating.

Not your business. There are far more important things going on.

He's her son. This is a memorial for her beloved husband. She would've needed emotional support. Bugger the optics on this one. And I think Andrew is a disgusting human.

I guess it’s what the Queen wanted. On the day of her husband’s memorial service we can give her that surely?

@Mumdiva99

After seeing her sitting alone at the funeral I couldn't care less who escorts her.....just so long as she is escorted and looked after. I thought the image of her at the funeral was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. (And yes I know it happened for other people too during Covid, and I feel the same empathy for them).

I think the institution of the RF is rotten to the core, but on a human level I tend to agree with this.

It was a very short service. The queen looked incredibly frail, and was swaying on her feet towards the end. I hated it.

I so don't get the arse licking , like the queen is above reproach. This family have shafted us all for years and we're still meant to grovel. Little England alive and kicking

So much for Andrew stepping back, it would have been just about acceptable if he at the back somewhere.

*was

I don't really think there's much to read into it tbh.

Ultimately he's not been convicted of a crime and it's a memorial service for his father. He's got no reason other than the public's opinion to stay away.

There's lots of reasons to dislike him, but I don't think this is one.

It’s bad enough she has to have politicians at this service, those that enforced rules which meant she had to stand alone at her husband’s funeral. So no wonder she wants her family close and not to do this day alone. Her right to choose whoever that should be, it’s her family and a difficult day for her. Any chance we can show a bit of respect for her- as a mother, wife, parent herself- by not continuing this thread? Probably not…

I’ve really gone off the Queen since she made a point of being seen with Andrew at Balmoral. She is probably the person in the world, except maybe Kim Kardashian, who best understands branding. So this is deliberate; so I can only assume she doesn’t care and doesn’t understand why the public cares, that her son is *possibly a sex offender.

The H and M debacle and this scandal has made a republican out of me, which I never thought would happen.

I don't suppose anyone in the royal family has banished Andrew from their lives, despite all the public opinion of him. The Queen would have wanted him to attend his Fathers memorial, and the public would have thought it was bad,if he hadn't turned up.

He'll always get away with things as he's mummy's favourite boy.

i can't be mad about this.

He is the only one without a spouse/family. He didn't join the procession, he escorted his 96yo, ill, elderly mother to his fathers memorial service, and entered/exited via the side door.

In this instance, this was the best choice.. i don't think i want to see the Queen entering alone, she did that at the actual funeral.

I think some of the frothers on this thread need to realise that not everyone believes PA was guilty

Would you pay someone 12 million if you were innocent of all wrong doing? Genuine question and

If so, you are a distinct minority.

And if the RF truly believed in PA's innocence why has he been catapulted out? Banished to the shadows?
You must be one of the only people in the world who think he is innocent of all wrong doing, but it is nice he has some fans left.

@turnthebiglightoff

He's her son. She is an old woman. It really is, unfortunately, as simple as that. He's faced no criminal charges (in a court etc), and regardless of how any of us feel about him he is her son and it's her right to ask him to help her celebrate the life of her late husband. It really should just be left at that and I agree with a PP, anything else is just nastiness.

I am no fan of the Royal Family, but I agree with this.

@AndAsIfByMagic

Her choice, her husband's memorial, her business.

This.

@Gonnagetgoing

He'll always get away with things as he's mummy's favourite boy.

Yeah but she's not going to be around for much longer and he's unlikely to be anyone else's favourite boy. At least not anyone with any power.

@WinnieTheW0rm

No idea who would have actually advised it.

But some thoughts on why it might have been the least worst action

• it means DofY did not go in as part of the main televised royal arrivals
• it means he went in via a very short route that broadcasters barely showed (few paces only) but without anyone having to say 'don't show much if Andrew' because the reason was 'please would you limit coverage if the Queen on her feet'

• we can't know what the Queen thought, but (to nick a phrase from another context) he remains a much loved member of the family, and this was a family affair (Queen's children seated in birth order, not order of precedence)

I think this sounds very logical, @WinnieTheW0rm.