Trigger Warning: This article contains references to sexual harassment
The Duke of York, along with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, joined the royal family for the Easter services amidst his scandals.
King Charles, along with Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sofie, headed to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday. Prince Andrew was present with the family after stepping down from public duties in 2019. However, this isn’t the first time that the Duke has appeared with the royals on such special occasions, as he was present at King’s Coronation in 2023 as well.
Prince Andrew’s Scandal
Prince Andrew’s attendance at the royal Easter celebrations came one month after the Duke faced backlash for attending King Constantine of Greece’s memorial services. The Duke of York had found himself spiraling into legal troubles after having connections with Jeffery Epstein. The former royal had to step down from duties after his controversial interview with BBC regarding his ties with the sex offender went public.
In 2022, Queen Elizabeth stripped the Duke of his military medals and patronages after Prince Andrew tried to get Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit dismissed against him. Giuffre had filed a sexual harassment case against the prince. The lawsuit stated that Giuffre was forced to have sex with the Duke of York three times during the period between 1999 and 2002 on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein. However, the former royal has denied all allegations against him and settled the case with Virginia out of court for an undisclosed amount in 2022.
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Royal Family’s Easter Services
The British royal family gathered for the Easter service on Sunday. As directed by the physicians, King Charles and Queen Consort opted for separate seats during the services, amidst the monarch’s cancer treatment. While the family reunited, the Prince and Princess of Wales were missing from the picture, as it had only been over a week since Kate Middleton’s shocking revelation about her health. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, too, were out of attendance.
After undergoing a significant abdominal surgery in January, Middleton revealed in a personalized video released by Kensington Palace on March 22 that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The princess shared, “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. For now, I must focus on making a full recovery.”
The trips of royal members to the church are rather private and quiet on the occasions of Christmas and Easter; but this year was different as 3 of the royal members had been going through treatment for cancer, including the head of state.
