Prince Andrew spotted grinning amid claims Queen allowed his return to public life

Prince Andrew was photographed in a cheerful mood as he drove his Range Rover in Windsor on Monday, May 23.

A photo from The Express showed the 62-year-old with a big smile on his face as he sat behind the wheel of his vehicle. He wore a blue buttoned-up shirt and his eyes seemed to twinkle along with his wide grin.

His appearance came after Queen Elizabeth II allegedly agreed to let him return to public life after the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. He will reportedly attend one of the important fixtures in the royal calendar, Garter Day, on June 13.

According to The Telegraph, he will attend the ceremony alongside his mother, former prime ministers, and other senior royal family members. It is said that Her Majesty "personally" appointed the Duke of York to the Order of the Garter.

Expectations are high that he will also be addressed in the following day's Court Circular as His Royal Highness. The monarch stripped him of the royal title and announced that he will no longer perform public duties on Jan. 13 following allegations that he sexually abused Virginia Roberts Giuffre when she was a minor.

However, things seem to be looking good for Prince Andrew in terms of his return to royal life after he settled the case out of court in February. He performed a major role during Prince Philip's memorial in March when he walked his mother to her seat at Westminster Abbey. It is understood that he will also escort her to the Epsom Derby on the Platinum Jubilee weekend with a source saying, "The Queen needs a chaperone on all occasions at the moment due to her mobility issues and Andrew has earmarked the Derby as the one he will accompany her at."

As for his appearance with Queen Elizabeth II at the June 13 event, royal commentator Tom Sykes said this could only mean that Her Majesty still has respect for her son. She has "no intention of completely expelling" Prince Andrew from royal life especially if she has invited him to The Order of the Garter, which is Britain's most senior Order of Chivalry. It is "the ultimate mark of established respect."