Prince Andrew ‘ordered’ not to attend family Christmas service amid backlash over Epstein ties

Prince Andrew was not present at the church service that the rest of the British royal family attended as he faces backlash surrounding his ties to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The royal family attended the main Christmas Day church service at 11 a.m. in Sandringham in Norfolk, while the Duke of York went to an earlier service at 9 a.m., the BBC reported. He was also absent when members of the family went to greet the public at the conclusion of the service.

Queen Elizabeth II attended both the services, according to the Daily Beast, which also reported that Andrew was “ordered” not to appear at the main service.

The prince’s ties to Epstein have been scrutinized since the disgraced financier died from an apparent suicide in his New York prison cell as he was awaiting trial in August. Andrew participated in an interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis last month and was ridiculed for a number of answers he gave to questions about his friendship with Epstein.

The prince insisted that he was at a chain pizza restaurant with his daughters on one of the dates he’s alleged to have raped Virginia Roberts Giuffre. He also said her claim that they met at a nightclub while he was sweating profusely could not be true because he had a post-combat condition that prevented him from sweating. He additionally flatly denied that he and Giuffre ever had a sexual relationship.

Backlash from the interview led Andrew to step back from public duties last month. He was later kicked out of his offices at Buckingham Palace.

“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work,” a statement from Andrew read. “Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”

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