‘Now will the public finally accept that the Queen is a deeply unpleasant person?’
The internet has been engulfed in a debate over the Queen’s “terrible decision” to allow Prince Andrew to escort her to Prince Phillip’s memorial service.
Just over a month after Prince Andrew settled an ongoing court case with sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre, he was pictured in his first public appearance since paying more than £12m to a person he claims to have never met.
Andrew, 62, was pictured in the state limousine alongside his mother while on the way to Prince Phillip’s memorial service earlier this week.
In what The Express dubbed the “ultimate act of love”, Andrew was later snapped whilst helping his 95-year-old mother walk down the aisle during the service.
Now will the public finally accept that the Queen is a deeply unpleasant person? #PrinceAndrew
— Helen the Zen 🏴 💙 🍉 (@helenmallam) March 29, 2022
Social media, panel shows and political commentators are still debating the ordeal, which many say was the Queen’s first public display of support for her son.
“It was a slap in the face to see the Queen as Head of State publicly endorse disgraced Prince Andrew with such a prominent role at Prince Philip memorial service,” Tweeted author and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu. “Like all is forgiven & forgotten? It’s not.”
It was a slap in the face to see the Queen as Head of State publicly endorse disgraced Prince Andrew with such a prominent role at Prince Philip memorial service. Like all is forgiven & forgotten? It’s not.
Royal Family don’t care what we think or feel. Entitled galore. Shameful pic.twitter.com/vJaxVT6g7v
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) March 30, 2022
She continued to say that Andrew was chosen “deliberately” and rightly pointed out the array of other Royal options, including Prince Edward, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Princess Anne.
All Prince Andrew had to do was show up and take a back seat (metaphorically & literally) at Prince Philip memorial service but no – the disgraced son of the Queen takes centre stage & overshadows the event.
What a thoughtful and considerate son.
— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) March 30, 2022
Another criticism from Twitter reads: “Allowing Prince Andrew to walk The Queen into Westminster Abbey was a terrible decision by Buckingham Palace. What does it say to victims of sexual assault? Terrible optics just days after a poorly organised tour.”
Royal Editor Omid Scobie wrote: “His presence was always going to be controversial, but Prince Andrew taking on the self-appointed role of consort for the day has completely overshadowed a beautiful service.”
“Now will the public finally accept that the Queen is a deeply unpleasant person?” said one person who did not hold back.
His presence was always going to be controversial, but Prince Andrew taking on the self-appointed role of consort for the day has completely overshadowed a beautiful service. And to think just a week ago palace sources were fretting about the optics of a *wheelchair*. pic.twitter.com/8qG70bO94M
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) March 29, 2022
However not everyone slammed the Queen’s decision, with Karen on Twitter writing: “All this outrage about Andrew walking his mother into the Abbey, firstly he is the son of Prince Philip, secondly he was the only child without a partner there and thirdly, he’s not convicted of anything..regardless of our opinions of him personally!”
“The Queen put her family first yesterday. She probably thought sod it..all my life I’ve done what is expected, well not today,” another fan said.
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