Prince Andrew’s decision to skip Royal Ascot, the most glittering festival in the flat-racing calendar, held over five days in Berkshire each year in June, has given the Royal Family hope that the embattled Duke may be resigned to his fate, reported The Times.
Although the Duke of York, 62, had originally been due to attend the race meeting, which would have involved taking part in the carriage procession with other senior members of the royal family, he opted out “without fuss”, a source was cited as saying.
The Prince has been desperate to propel himself back into public life after he was stripped of his honorary military roles in January and his HRH style amid the sex abuse allegations brought against him by an alleged Jeffrey Epstein victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre. However, he struck an out-of-court multi-million-pound settlement with his accuser in February, while denying any wrongdoing.
Since then, Prince Andrew has refused to keep a low profile, with members of the royal family reportedly “dismayed” when he walked his mother, Queen Elizabeth II to her seat at the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey in March.
Similarly, insiders were said to have warned the Duke against participating in the Order of the Garter ceremony - an annual procession and service at Windsor Castle in June. However, Prince Andrew refused to heed their advice, according to numerous sources, and insisted on going. Furthermore, orders of service had been printed showing that he was due to take part in the procession, and was only prevented from doing so after an intervention by Charles, Prince of Wales, and Prince William who reportedly lobbied the monarch.
The disgraced Duke had purportedly hoped to use his appearance with the Royal Family at the annual procession from Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel as a “bullish” comeback “plot".
According to Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie, the Duke of York was left "crushed and confused" after he was banned from attending the Order of the Garter ceremony.
Earlier, The Daily Telegraph published a story claiming Prince Andrew had asked the Queen to reinstate him as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. He also hoped to be readmitted to official events with other members of the royal family.
“Most important for him is his status as an HRH and ‘prince of the blood’ and he feels that should be reinstated and his position recognised and respected,” a source told the outlet.
However, now the beleaguered prince may finally be coming to terms with the fact that there is no way back for him into public life.
“If he wasn’t listening before, maybe he is listening now,” an insider was cited by The Times as saying about the Duke of York.