Prince Andrew has taken his seat in Westminster Abbey beside his daughter Princess Beatrice after being allowed to wear formal Order of the Garter robes for the King’s Coronation.
His attire was despite the fact he will have no formal role in the ceremony or procession behind the Gold State Coach that will carry the newly crowned King and Queen to the Palace after the ceremony.
The Duke of York, 63, and Duke of Sussex, 38, will be mere spectators to the historic occasion given that they are no longer working royals, but while Andrew is wearing Garter robes, Prince Harry appeared wearing a suit.
The royals have taken their seats in the Abbey after stony-faced Prince Andrew was pictured leaving Buckingham Palace for the Coronation of his brother King Charles.
The Duke of York was driven down The Mall in a state car and parts of the crowd in a grandstand in front of Buckingham Palace booed as Andrew went past.
The Duke of York has taken his seat on the same row as Prince Harry – his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie and in between them
Prince Andrew was wearing ceremonial robes – whereas Harry was seen wearing a suit
Prince Andrew – wearing robes – travelling to the Coronation with daughter Princess Eugenie
Prince Andrew seen for the first time on the morning of the Coronation leaving Buckingham Palace
The Duke of Sussex at the Coronation – wearing a suit as he is no longer a working royal
Crowds in the grandstand opposite Buckingham Palace ahead of the coronation
Prince Andrew and Prince Harry will also will miss on stepping out onto the balcony at the Palace for a traditional photo op following the service.
Prince Andrew joined his children, the Tindalls, Princess Anne and her husband, the Kents and the Wessexes at Mayfair club Oswald’s for a dinner last night – but there was no sign of the ‘outcast’ Prince Harry.
Yesterday the Prince appeared left out in the cold as he took a solo drive around the grounds of Windsor Castle while the rest of the royals practiced for the Coronation.
The Duke of York was pictured in his Range Rover at the historic site in Berkshire just 24 hours before his brother was set to be crowned King.
Meanwhile, Charles, Queen Consort Camilla and Prince William were all back at Westminster Abbey for more rehearsals for the big day.
Prince Andrew stepped down from public life after his Newsnight interview in November 2019 and the furore over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The late Queen’s disgraced second son went on to pay millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to a woman he claimed never to have met.
Virginia Giuffre sued him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by Epstein. Andrew denied the claims.
Ahead of his legal settlement, his mother stripped him of all of his honorary military roles, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and he gave up his HRH style.
The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Peter Phillips, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Zara Tindall, Princess Eugenie, Jack Brooksbank
The Duke of York was driven down The Mall in a state car
King Charles III leaves St James’ Palace and travels to Buckingham Palace ahead of his coronation at Westminster Abbey
The Duke of York will have no formal role in the grand occasion
King Charles smiles out at members of the public as he is driven ahead of his Coronation
The Duke of York and his daughter Princess Eugenie of York then travel together to the Coronation
The Diamond Jubilee State Coach arrives at Buckingham Palace
A general view inside Westminster Abbey ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla
Members of the public brave the rain to feel part of the celebrations today
Crowds wearing rain ponchos in the grandstand opposite Buckingham Palace
The monarch smiled to huge crowds who cheered wildly and waved flags as he was seen earlier before the start of the procession.
On the short journey from St James’ Palace, the King, 74, looked solemn and thoughtful at times, in what is undoubtedly the biggest day of his life. Senior members of the Royal Family arrived around 20 minutes later, including Prince Andrew.
The monarch had been heir since the age of three, and is now ready to finally embrace his day of destiny with the woman he loves by his side. VIP guests queued for a mile from 6am to get one of the prime 2,300 seats inside. The Abbey was full at just before 9am.
They will watch Charles be crowned in a Christian ceremony that dates back for 1,000 years on a day dripping with glorious displays of pageantry.
The two-hour service, pared back from his mother’s in 1953, is a pivotal moment in the history of the Royal Family will balance ancient tradition and a future in the 21st century.
Musicians perform at Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6
Troops march in Whitehall on the day of King Charles’ coronation ceremony
