Prince Andrew’s Royal Ascot absence ‘shows he is listening to wishes of family’

The Duke of York’s low profile during this week’s Royal Ascot has reportedly given the royal family hope that he is “listening” to them about foregoing any return to public life.

Prince Andrew was due to attend the major horse racing event in Berkshire, which would have seen him join other members of the royal family in a carriage procession.

But it has been reported that he made the decision to stay away from the event “without fuss”.

It comes after a a number of reports claimed the Duke was keen to return to life in the public eye again and is said to have hoped to make a rare public appearance at last week’s Garter Day service.

However, The Sun reported that the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge lobbied the Queen on the issue and blocked him from taking part in any public appearances on the day that celebrates honourable knights and their contributions to public life.

Prince William is said to have threatened to “withdraw” from the ceremony if Andrew was allowed to be there.

On Saturday, The Times quoted a source as saying that the Duke may be starting to heed his family’s advice about staying out of the limelight, and that: “If he wasn’t listening before, maybe he is listening now.”

Andrew stepped down from public duties in 2019 over his link to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In January this year, he was stripped of his honorary military titles and can no longer use his HRH title amid a sexual abuse case brought against him by Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre.

Giuffre alleged that the Duke sexually abused her while she was underage in the US. He has consistently said he has no recollection of ever meeting Giuffre and vehemently denies the allegations.

In February, he reached a multi-million pound settlement to stop the case from proceeding to a civil trial, including damages to Ms Giuffre and a donation to a charity “in support of victims’ rights”.

Andrew has appeared publicly once since reaching the settlement, at the memorial for his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh, in March.

He arrived at Westminster Abbey for the service with the Queen and escorted her to her seat, reportedly to the “dismay” of other members of the royal family.