Public fury as Prince Andrew set to attend Prince Philip's memorial

News that Prince Andrew will attend Prince Philip's memorial at Westminster Abbey on March 29 has led to complaints from those who decry his public presence.

The service is in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh who died in April 2021 at the age of 99. Members of the British royal family will attend the memorial with many expecting to see his wife Queen Elizabeth II.

However, the public is not looking forward to seeing the Duke of York again following the scandal he brought upon the monarchy. According to reports, he will be there to pay his respects to Prince Philip along with his siblings Prince Charles, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne.

This will be Prince Andrew's first public appearance since he settled his sexual abuse case out of court with his accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre. It is said he paid up to £12 million under the advice of the Prince of Wales and the British monarch. This way he would not have to go through a court trial and suffer another humiliation as what happened with his Newsnight interview in 2019.

He has since denied the accusations that he raped the plaintiff when she was only 17 years old, at the time when she was working for sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who was friends with the royal. But the damage to his reputation has already been done and people no longer want to see him return to public life.

Royal followers expressed their outrage following news of his appearance at Prince Philip's memorial. One wrote on Twitter, "No no no! We don't want to see him in public ever! If he must attend then the service shouldn't be aired!"

Meanwhile, political activist Kate Smurthwaite said the Duke of York's presence will only create a "total distraction." She said during an appearance on Jeremy Vine on 5, "Why should he be appearing at public events? It would be very very upsetting for people around the country who have themselves experienced sexual abuse."

However, there were also those who think that Prince Andrew should be there at Prince Philip's memorial because he is his father after all. Others shared that it is up to Queen Elizabeth II whether she wants her son to be at the service or not.