Prince Andrew set to attend Prince Philip’s memorial service in first public outing since settling sex case

The Duke of York said to be determined to honour his father by attending the ceremony

Since January, the Duke has generally been staying away from the public eye (Will Oliver/EPA)

Prince Andrew is expected to attend his father Prince Philip’s memorial service next week, in what would be his first public outing since settling his sex assault case.

The Duke of York is determined to honour his father by being present at the Westminster Abbey event on 29 March, PA Media reported, despite the scrutiny he is likely to face.

It will be his first public appearance since he reached an out-of-court agreement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse, in February. The Duke paid up to £12m to his accuser, bringing the civil case against him in New York almost to a close.

Other members of the Royal Family, including the Queen who is reportedly “pacing her royal duties” due to mobility issues, are expected to attend the service next week. In attendance will also be Prince Philip’s friends, colleagues, representatives of organisations he supported, and members of other European royal families.

Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties in November 2019 in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. In January, the Queen stripped him of his honorary military titles and royal patronages, and he also stopped using his HRH style.

Since then, the Duke has generally been staying away from the public eye. He attended his father’s funeral in April 2021.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the Duke of Sussex will not be returning to the UK for the high-profile event. He has previously said he “does not feel safe” visiting the UK without police protection.