Prince Andrew was today seen laughing outside Westminster Cathedral with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson as they attended the Duchess of Kent’s funeral.
The Duke of York was given a prominent position in the front row at Westminster Cathedral as he joined other members of the Royal Family for the private memorial.
Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, on the evening of September 4 aged 92.
As the royals left the emotional service, Andrew was seen howling with laughter as he shared a joke with Fergie.
On what was a sombre occasion, the Duke also broke into laughter while standing next to Prince William, who looked visibly uncomfortable and embarrassed.
Andrew stepped down as a working royal over the scandal involving his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, but he still attends private family events.
Members of the Royal Family including King Charles, Prince William and the Princess of Wales were also in attendance, but Queen Camilla was forced to pull out after suffering from acute sinusitis.
Andrew and Fergie – who travelled from Royal Lodge in Windsor together – were given notable seats in the front row, just to the right of King Charles, Prince William and Catherine.
The Duke’s attendance comes as the Epstein scandal was thrust back into the spotlight by a ‘birthday book’ which laid bare hundreds of messages and photos from friends, including Lord Mandelson, on his 50th birthday.
Mandelson, who has since been sacked from his US ambassador role, described Epstein as his ‘best pal’ and it later emerged that he encouraged the paedophile to ‘fight for early release’ while he was facing charges for soliciting a minor.
The latest fallout has led to fresh questions over those who had links to Epstein, including Andrew who was accused of sexual abuse by one of the financier’s most prominent victims, Virginia Giuffre.
The family of Ms Giuffre have now called for the the Duke of York to be fully investigated.
Prince Andrew and Fergie were seen laughing during what was a sombre occasion for the Duchess of Kent
Later, Andrew could be seen laughing as William awkwardly stood next to him outside the Abbey
Prince Andrew sticks out his tongue after leaving the sombre service at Westminster Abbey
Prince Andrew appears to share a joke with the Duchess of Edinburgh at Katharine’s funeral today
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York arrives for the Requiem Mass service for Katharine, the Duchess of Kent
Prince Andrew was seen speaking to Prince William as they walked out of Westminster Abbey
Prince Andrew was sat in the front row, on the right hand side with Fergie. King Charles, Prince William and Catherine were in the front row of the middle block
Ms Giuffre, who took her own life in April, claimed Epstein introduced her to Andrew at the age of 17 in 2001, and that he sexually abused her three times.
The prince, who has always denied the claims, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022, believed to be upwards of £12million.
Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffre’s brother, told the BBC on Sunday: ‘It doesn’t matter if it’s a Royal Family member or president or prince… every single person deserves to be held to the fullest extent of the law.
‘Of course he’s been stripped of… all of these different things and publicly shamed in certain ways, but that’s not enough.
‘The fact that he’s still out there, that he’s still living in a palace or a castle is not enough.
‘It’s time we put every single person, whether you’re a royal, Prince Andrew, you need to be fully investigated, and if it is found that you had any participation, you need to be put behind bars for the rest of your life.’
He claimed the Royal Family had not reached out to them.
As the Epstein scandal continues to haunt Andrew, he returned to the royal fold alongside other members of the Royal Family, apart from Camilla who was forced to pull out with illness.
The announcement raises questions over Camilla’s attendance at US president Donald Trump’s high-stakes and busy state visit, which begins in full at Windsor on Wednesday and is being hosted by the King.
The Queen, is, however, hopeful that she will have recovered sufficiently to be able to attend all royal elements of the controversial American leader’s trip as planned, with highlights including a lavish state banquet.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: ‘With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon’s Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis.
‘Her thoughts and prayers will be with The Duke of Kent and all the family.’
The Duke of Kent has been informed, and is said to fully understand Camilla’s decision, and has sent his best wishes for a speedy recovery.
The Queen travelled down from Scotland this morning and is currently en route to Windsor to rest.
Today’s Requiem mass, a Catholic funeral, was the first to be held for a member of the monarchy in modern British history.
The Order of Service was released this morning showing that the Pope has sent a special message in honour of the duchess which will form part of the ceremony.
Pope Leo XIV’s words will be read to the congregation by Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain.
A devout follower of the Roman Catholic faith, the Duchess became the first member of the royal family to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years, doing so in 1994, and it was her wish to have her funeral at Westminster Cathedral.
Personal elements of the deeply religious service include the participation of three of the Duchess’s grandchildren – Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor, Eloise Taylor and Albert Windsor who will read the Prayer of the Faithful.
A large wreath of British garden flowers, chosen by the Duchess’s family, was placed on top of the coffin and includes white roses, the symbol of Yorkshire, the county where she was born, and sprigs of yew from the gardens of Hovingham Hall, the Duchess’s childhood home, representing eternal life.
Her coffin is a wicker construction made from English willow and is draped with the royal standard which has a white ermine border signifying she was the spouse of a prince.
It was received during a solemn ceremony at the cathedral for the Rite of Reception and Vespers on the eve of her funeral service, with immediate family in attendance, and the coffin resting overnight in the Lady Chapel.
Prince Andrew looks at his brother, King Charles, as they leave the funeral service
Prince Andrew returned to the royal fold as he attended the Duchess of Kent’s funeral with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson today
Prince Andrew and Princess Anne depart Westminster Abbey after the Requiem Mass
Prince Andrew and Fergie enter Westminster Cathedral
The Duke of York arrives for the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson
King Charles III arrives at the funeral for the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral today
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive for the funeral at Westminster Cathedral today
Soldiers from The Royal Dragoon Guards, a regiment she supported as deputy Colonel-in-Chief, played an important role, with a piper leading the funeral cortege and other soldiers carrying the coffin into the cathedral.
The Duchess’s will be the first royal funeral at the cathedral, in Victoria, central London, since its construction in 1903.
The last Roman Catholic funeral definitively known to have been held for a member of the British royal family in England was nearly 500 years ago when Queen Mary I died in 1558.
The King will not be the first monarch to have attended a Catholic funeral, as Queen Elizabeth II attended the Catholic state funeral of King Baudouin of the Belgians, at St Michael’s Cathedral in Brussels, in August 1993.
Charles, when Prince of Wales, also went to Pope John Paul II’s funeral, representing his mother the late Queen, in 2005, while his son William attended Pope Francis’s funeral mass earlier this year.
