THE Queen has “let it be known” she wants Prince Andrew to keep his military colonel role although the duke has stepped back from the Royals.
She is reportedly keen for the Duke of York to remain as colonel of the Grenadier Guards despite sex abuse accusations being filed against him, which he’s denied.
The decision was reported by The Celeb Reportday Times, which quoted a military source slamming it as “a very difficult, unsatisfactory situation.
“The feeling across the regiment is that it’s not appropriate to retain him.”
Her support comes despite there being “little prospect of him returning to public duties”, the Times adds.
Andrew – described as the Queen’s “favourite son” – took on the honorary role from the Duke of Edinburgh in 2017.
A senior military source said: “The Queen has let it be known to the regiment that she wants the Duke of York to remain as colonel.
“His position is not tenable or viable. How can you have a colonel who can’t perform the role?
“For the brief time he was in post, he was a good colonel, but the feeling across the regiment is that it’s not appropriate to retain him. You can’t have a colonel who can’t do public duties.”
The unnamed source claimed that senior defence chiefs “all agree that he should go”.
Her Majesty’s move is seen as a “significant” sign of her support for Andrew, 61, who denies the claims lodged at a US court by Virginia Guiffre.
It comes despite him stepping back from public life in 2019 over his friendship with late paedo Jeffrey Epstein.
In November 2019 he sensationally quit his royal duties over the fallout from his car-crash Jeffrey Epstein interview with the BBC.
In a bombshell statement the Prince said: “It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.
“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.
“His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.
“I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives.
“Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
LAWSUIT LODGED
Two years later, lawyers for Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court, where Epstein was charged criminally with sex trafficking a month before he killed himself at age 66 in 2019.
In the court papers, she alleged that the duke abused her three times – at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home, at Epstein’s Manhattan home and at the financier’s private Caribbean retreat in the US Virgin Islands – claims which he has consistently denied.
He told BBC Newsnight: “It didn’t happen. I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”
A few days ago, the Sun Online explained that Andrew is to keep silent about the sex allegations against him and is said to be relaxed about the lawsuit he faces.
The royal “has no intention” of changing course and is not sweating on Virginia Giuffre’s civil action launched in early August, a pal says.
The friend in London said: “He has been cheerful and relaxed at Balmoral.
“His legal team always expected this and have prepared. They advised the Duke to keep calm and carry on and he is taking their advice.”
The pal added: “The legal process could go on for years but that’s not his fault.
“He will respond if required to by law, as he has always said
“His lawyers saw what happened with the Newsnight interview and think it’s best he says as little as possible.”
