Prince Andrew PARTIED after being stripped of titles by Queen: Source
Prince Andrew reportedly hosted a shooting party at his mansion, a day after being stripped of his titles by the Queen. Sources told The Sun on Sunday, January 15, that the Duke of York’s bad days has begun as one of them said, “the penny has finally dropped.”
A day before the party, Andrew was said to have been emotional. A senior defense insider said: “The Prince was tearful when told the news even though he had expected it. He feels that he has let so many people down, not least his mother, during her Platinum Jubilee year.”
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But despite his agony, he hosted the party for around 12 friends and relatives on Friday, January 14. Reportedly, all the invitees first gathered at his Royal Lodge home before going to Great Windsor Park, Berkshire, for shooting. The party was apparently a Christmas present from the Queen to Princess Eugenie, 31, and her 35-year-old husband, Jack.
It has been said that the Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 62, were not present at the shooting site, but went to join the attendees for lunch at the York Club, a social venue, two miles away. A source said, “It seems quite brazen of Andrew to host a party and let his family go shooting with all the controversy raging.”
Andrew stepped down from the royal duties in 2019 and after which, his military appointments were suspended. He, however, still retained the roles. But on Thursday, January 13, a brief statement was issued by Buckingham Palace that read, “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
A dozen titles that Andrew has lost included Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, Honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth, Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment, Colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps, Colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth’s Own), Colonel-in-chief of the Yorkshire Regiment, Colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps, Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, and Royal Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
An insider commenting on his stripping said, “He had hoped that he might get some sort of stay of execution and be allowed to clear his name before his titles were removed. There are a number of people in the royal household who are utterly convinced that he is innocent. But the clamour for Andrew’s scalp meant that a quick and brutal decision needed to be made.”
Another senior defense source added: “Andrew is a victim of very poor decision-making. There is no way he could continue as the honorary head of distinguished military regiments. His departure has been greeted with a huge sigh of relief. He had become a bloody embarrassment. He could not be present at parades, visit units or welcome troops home from operations because the story would always be about sex scandals and not about the regiments.”