Controversial princes Harry, Andrew pushed to third row at UK coronation

Harry and Andrew were both seen smiling as they walked through the abbey to their seats.

London:

Princes Harry and Andrew attended the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, but were seated in the third row of the Royal Family with no formal role in the proceedings.

Charles’ younger son Harry and his American wife Meghan stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and have since launched barbed attacks on the monarchy.

Andrew, the King’s eldest brother, has been estranged from his previous relationship with the disgraced late American financier Jeffrey Epstein and a related sexual abuse allegation, which was settled out of court.

Riding in a state car from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in London, a section of the crowd in a grandstand in front of the palace was hooting as Andrew walked past.

Harry, 38, Duke of Sussex, and Andrew, 63, Duke of York, arrived at the monastery with other members of the royal family.

It is the first time Harry has joined his family since being subjected to a torrent of scathing criticism over his recent memoir “Spare” and a series of televised interviews.

Meghan has been in California with the couple’s young children to avoid potentially awkward interactions with her in-laws.

smile in the abbey

Harry, a former British Army captain who served in Afghanistan, wore a morning suit with his medals, while Andrew – who flew Royal Navy helicopters in the 1982 Falklands War – wore his Knight of the Garter. Were wearing clothes.

Harry was seen chatting with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the husband of his cousin Princess Beatrice, Andrew’s eldest daughter.

After entering the Great West Door he had a quick talk with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

Welby married Harry and Meghan in May 2018 at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Harry and Andrew were both seen smiling as they walked through the abbey to their seats.

They were both placed in the third row – in keeping with their place in the line of succession to the throne.

Harry is fifth in line to the throne after his brother Prince William and William’s three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of Wales.

Andrew is eighth in line after Harry and his children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.

Andrew sat at the end of the row next to Beatrice, while Harry sat next to Jack Brooksbank, husband of Andrew’s younger daughter Princess Eugenie.

Archie’s fourth birthday is on Saturday, so Harry can make a speedy exit to his home in California.

Andrew’s relationship with Epstein – the lover of the prince’s friend Ghislaine Maxwell – came back to haunt him.

An American woman, Virginia Giuffre, said she was pressured into having sex with Andrew when she was 17 following childbirth by Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 of buying a child for prostitution.

Andrew denied the allegations in a BBC interview in November 2019 which nevertheless backfired badly.

Within days, he retracted his patronage and in May 2020 he permanently resigned from all public roles.

The matter was settled out of court in February 2022, with Giuffre accepting a donation to his charity and no admission of liability from Andrew.

Andrew attended the events surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral but, beyond mourning his mother, Charles showed no sign of allowing him to return to public life.

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