King Charles 'overruled Prince William to welcome Prince Andrew back'

King Charles ‘overruled Prince William and ordered Royal Family to welcome Prince Andrew back into the fold’

• It comes as the Duke of York was spotted at a public outing with Prince William 

King Charles overruled Prince William by welcoming the disgraced Duke of York back in the royal family fold, it has been reported. 

It comes as Prince Andrew was driven to a church service in Balmoral by the future King, while the Princess of Wales took the back seat, in a move branded as a ‘public statement of togetherness’. 

The outing – which was widely photographed – will have been a huge boost for the Duke, 63, who has been rallying for a return to public life.

Sources have now claimed that the monarch is calling for Prince Andrew, who lost his official duties following the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal, to be welcomed back into the family – both publicly and privately.

The King has reportedly spoken to his brother on several occasions and decide while he should not return as a working royal, he should be welcomed back into the family fold.

King Charles overruled Prince William by welcoming the disgraced Duke of York back in the royal family fold

The King has reportedly spoken to his brother on several occasions and decide while he should not return as a working royal, he should be welcomed back into the family fold

One claimed that Prince William’s ‘wings’ have been ‘clipped somewhat’ following the King’s U-turn, as he had no desire to be spotted with Prince Andrew in public, other than during the late Queen’s funeral and the King’s coronation.

One Balmoral insider told the Mirror that there had been confusion over how Andrew would be traveling to the service in Scotland last Sunday, while the royals are on their summer holidays.

They added that travelling with the future King and Queen was ‘more than he could have wished for’.

Both Prince William and King Charles had lobbied the late Queen to strip Andrew of his military titles and charity patronages when he paid Virginia Giuffre a huge £12 million after she accused him of sexual assault. He has always denied the claims.

After he made the payment, which meant he avoided a full trial in the US court, Prince William allegedly said he would boycott the Garter Parade at Windsor Castle if his uncle were allowed to join.

The late Queen had reportedly wished for her second oldest son to join but both King Charles and Prince William blocked the move over fears of a public ‘backlash’.

An insider told the paper that William had no desire to be seen with Prince Andrew in public, other than event such as Christmas at Sandringham and the King’ Coronation, even if he continued to spend time with him privately.

Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, who raised a bill in Parliament to strip the Duke of his royal title slammed the idea of rehabilitating Prince Andrew’s public image.

Last week it was reported that Prince Andrew had launched a bid to win back his £3million a year armed security

The Duke of York, 63, lost his right to protection after he was stripped of his ‘HRH’ title and removed as a working senior royal following the fallout

She said: ‘Any rehabilitation process in terms of a public role for Prince Andrew would be unpalatable, especially when the questionable acts that he was accused of involved the possible sexual misconduct against vulnerable women.

‘We want to make sure the rights of women are upheld and I don’t think we can have confidence that those would be a priority if Prince Andrew was welcomed back into any public role whatsoever.’

The King, however, is ‘absolutely resolute’ that the Prince will not return to royal duties, with insiders claiming there will be ‘no change in tack’ over his royal status.

A source told the Telegraph earlier this week: ‘He has always been clear that the Duke is a much-loved member of the family, but that does not mean there will be a change in tack when it comes to his royal status.’

The Duke of York was said to have been invited on the royals summer trip to Balmoral by the King as an olive branch.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline the photographs of Prince Andrew travelling to church with the Waleses were ‘clearly intended to send a ‘message of family unity’.

But he insisted it was not a sign Andrew could return to public duties in any form.

‘This is a sad time for the royal family on their customary break at Balmoral. They and the nation will shortly be commemorating a year since the death of the Queen,’ Mr Fitzwilliams said.

‘We know how close Andrew was to the late Queen, his appearance at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Memorial Service in March 2022, where he supported her physically whilst she was giving him emotional and financial support caused much controversy.

‘It has been reported that his allowance has been cut. It was rumoured that his tenure at Royal Lodge in Windsor, which is his home, was in danger.

‘He is also reportedly attempting to regain the police protection he lost when he stepped down from royal duties.’

But Mr Fitzwilliams added: ‘It is important to stress that there is no possibility, as King Charles and Prince William have always realised, of him returning to public duties in any form.

‘A glance at his non-existent popularity ratings in the polls make the public mood very clear on this issue.

‘However, what is being emphasised is harmony on a personal level and clearly he and his immediate family, who are also at Balmoral, will appreciate this a great deal, especially as the photographs we see today are such a very public statement of togetherness.’

William drove a Land Rover Defender with his uncle in the front seat on the way to church and his wife, the Princess of Wales, sitting behind. The passengers swapped seats after the service.

The appearance followed revelations that a ‘Tory grandee’ appealed to Home Secretary Suella Braverman at a private function to restore Andrew’s £3million-a-year police guards.

The Mail on Sunday said the top Tory ‘sidled up’ to Mrs Braverman to plead the duke’s case after he lost his 24-hour armed detectives following the Epstein scandal.

The senior Tory, a knight, is one of several high-profile figures recruited by the Duke, it was reported. Another is said to have messaged Mrs Braverman.

All approaches are said to have been rejected.

Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace declined to comment.

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