Prince Andrew attended the annual Christmas celebration of the royal family that was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Sandringham. He, however, skipped the royal walk after a church service on Christmas Eve.
The disgraced prince was seen stepping out of Sandringham House and walked with his daughter, Princess Eugenie, and son-in-law Jack Brooksbank to St. Mary Magdalene church for the 9 a.m. private service. Eugenie showed solidarity with her father as they were spotted chatting while walking next to one another.
Andrew was also later seen on a stroll with his brother Prince Charles. In some photos shared on social media, the Duke of York looked serious while talking to the future king.
The Duke of York attended the early church service with his mother, the Queen, but skipped the 11 a.m. service and decided to stay at Sandringham House with his father Prince Philip. According to palace sources, skipping the 11 a.m. service was a "personal decision" by Andrew who is still suffering from the backlash from his BBC's Newsnight interview.
In the said interview, Andrew was asked about his decision to keep his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein despite the latter's stint in jail. The prince said he did not entirely regret his association with Epstein and also failed to express sympathy for victims of the late billionaire.
This sparked outrage from the public which eventually forced to Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. Several companies also withdrew their support to Andrew's patronages.
Prince Andrew's scandal not only rocked the royal family but also believed to have also affected the upcoming wedding of his eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice. Reports indicated that Bea was forced to cancel her engagement party due to her father's controversy.
The 31-year-old princess and her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are expected to announce their wedding date after the Queen approved their chosen date. The announcement is expected to happen in the second week of January and the couple reportedly picked a date in early June 2020, just before the Royal Ascots which is set to kick off on June 16 and will run through June 20.
Prince Andrew's absence on the royal's Christmas Day church service is not the only one that is noticeable on the occasion. The recently hospitalized Prince Philip also missed the service as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Duke of Edinburgh has been discharged from the hospital on Christmas Ever but remained at Sandringham House. Harry and Meghan, on the other hand, reportedly spent Christmas in Canada with the Suits actress' mother.
