Prince Andrew joined King Charles III and other senior members of the royal family for Easter Sunday services at Windsor Castle, marking a rare public appearance amid continuing scrutiny over his past associations and alleged ties to foreign actors.
The Duke of York, 65, was photographed arriving at St. George's Chapel alongside his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and sister Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, attended the family gathering with their spouses, as did the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their son, James, the Earl of Wessex.
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived moments after Andrew and greeted onlookers outside the chapel with smiles and waves. The appearance comes days after Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement addressing reports that Prince Andrew met with King Charles to discuss the Eurasia Fund, a project linked to Chinese financier Yang Tengbo, who was barred from the United Kingdom in December over national security concerns.
"While His Majesty met with the Duke and his adviser to hear outline proposals for independent funding over the past year, the individual known as H6 was not mentioned at any time or in any way as part of these discussions," the palace said, referring to Yang, who reportedly advised Andrew on annual birthday correspondence sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Testimony from Andrew's former aide, Dominic Hampshire, to a U.K. immigration tribunal claimed that both the late Queen Elizabeth II and the royal household were aware of the letters and considered the communication channel with Beijing "useful."
Andrew has faced public and institutional distancing since his 2019 BBC Newsnight interview addressing his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He was stripped of military roles and royal patronages in 2022 after settling a lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault, a claim he has denied. The financial terms of the out-of-court settlement were not disclosed.
In 2024, the Duke of York was notably absent from Christmas events amid renewed controversy surrounding his reported ties to Yang. He missed the traditional Christmas luncheon and church service, further distancing himself from official royal functions.
Despite relinquishing public duties, Andrew has appeared at select family events such as funerals and holiday gatherings. Easter, regarded as a private family occasion, marked his return to a public-facing royal engagement.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were not in attendance, spending the holiday weekend privately in Norfolk as Princess Catherine continues her recovery following a cancer diagnosis. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell delivered the Easter sermon at York Minster in place of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who previously announced his resignation following criticism of his handling of a clerical abuse case.
