Queen Elizabeth II 'in distress' after public appearance with Prince Andrew

Queen Elizabeth II did not take criticism of her appearance with Prince Andrew at Prince Philip's memorial lightly. A palace source said that she became anxious that people did not appreciate her public show of support for her son.

The British monarch stunned the public when she appeared on the arm of the Duke of York for Prince Philip's memorial at Westminster Abbey on March 29. Some royal commentators thought it was only acceptable for the 62-year old to be there for his departed father and to support his mother.

However, the shock came when he performed the prominent role of escorting Her Majesty given the scandal he brought to the monarchy. His public appearance at the televised Thanksgiving service came just shortly after he settled his sexual abuse case out of court with Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

People had expected him to keep a low profile, and it is said that even royal family members were surprised to see him walk Queen Elizabeth II to her seat inside the abbey. The criticism inevitably started pouring in and they did not spare the monarch.

Royal biographer Tina Brown told The Telegraph that the backlash directed at the Queen over her appearance with Prince Andrew at Prince Philip's memorial has upset her. She said, "It's utterly grotesque, the whole Andrew business... I was told only yesterday by someone at the Palace just how deeply distressing it has been for the Queen."

The 95-year-old monarch stripped the Duke of York of his royal patronages and military titles earlier this year. It is said that her public show of support for him was viewed as a "shrewd move" in the face of his ongoing scandal. It was believed to be a slap in the face to victims of sexual abuse. Even those in Her Majesty's inner circle feel sad that the memorial was overshadowed by the disgraced royal's appearance.

But Prince Philip's memorial will reportedly not be the last of Prince Andrew's public appearances with Queen Elizabeth II. It is believed that he will escort her to the Epson race meet in June for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.