With the dawning of a new year, the Duke of York must have hoped that the troubling shadow cast by the late Jeffrey Epstein would diminish.
But it has now lengthened right across the calendar into June and possibly beyond.
For I can disclose that Andrew will miss the showpiece ceremonial occasion of the year, Trooping the Colour, marking the Queen’s official birthday, June 13.
As Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, he would normally take a prominent part, riding alongside the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Kent.
With the dawning of a new year, the Duke of York must have hoped that the troubling shadow cast by the late Jeffrey Epstein would diminish
‘Andrew is being replaced,’ a military figure tells me, adding that an eminent serving officer from the Grenadier Guards will ride in his place.
I have agreed not to reveal the identity of Andrew’s replacement for security reasons at the request of the Army hierarchy.
‘The Duke is in ‘suspended animation’, perhaps for a year, until everything is sorted out to the satisfaction of the top brass — assuming that it is,’ adds my source
The Duke’s absence from the annual display of pageantry is without precedent. Buckingham Palace declines to comment, as do the Grenadiers. But the decision will be a bitter blow to Andrew, who succeeded his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, as Colonel of the Grenadiers in 2017.
‘He’s worked really hard since then,’ adds the military figure.
In the process, Andrew earned renewed adulation from his daughters, with Eugenie proudly posting a photograph of him at Buckingham Palace after his first Trooping the Colour, captioning it ‘a wonderful and proud day’.
Prince Andrew takes part in Trooping the Colour Colonel’s Review in Horse Guards Parade. Trooping the Colour Rehearsal in June 2019
Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah, whose late father, Major Ronald Ferguson, took part in the Trooping, was even prouder.
But, following the Duke’s car-crash interview with Emily Maitlis, Andrew’s role has become fraught with difficulty — leading to his last-minute absence from the annual dinner of the Grenadiers’ First Guards Club, as well as to a schism within the regiment over his future role.
A Palace source says it is very early to be speculating on something that is not taking place until June.
Star Trek’s Sir Patrick Stewart may have boldly gone where no man has gone before, but he always hankers to return to the Dorchester.
He reveals his late father Alfred, who served in the Army, was offered the position of second doorman at the five-star hotel in London after the war. The job came with family quarters — but his dad turned it down.
‘Often I’ve reflected on how different my life would have been if, at the age of five, I’d moved to Park Lane,’ says Stewart, 79, who instead spent his childhood in Jarrow on the River Tyne. ‘From time to time I go to The Dorchester, and I will say hello and shake hands with the doorman.’
Emilia kills Freddie in Fox ratings war…
The Fox family launched a TV take-over on Wednesday as Emilia went head to head with her brother Freddie.
But who won the battle of the ratings? Emilia’s Silent Witness on BBC1 peaked at 5.2 million, while her sibling’s White House Farm about killer Jeremy Bamber on ITV came in at 4.2 million.
Emilia posted this picture of herself with her brother before transmission. ‘I don’t think this has ever happened to us before,’ trilled Emilia — before trouncing her younger rival.
Emilia Fox and brother Freddie Fox. The Fox family launched a TV take-over on Wednesday as Emilia went head to head with her brother
Gillian Anderson reveals her xxx-Files!
Gillian Anderson tells me it wasn’t until she played a straight-talking sex therapist on TV’s Sex Education that she felt comfortable talking about taboo subjects herself.
Speaking at the show’s season two premiere in London, Gillian teasingly tells me that she keeps an intimate part of a prop — from a film — at home.
‘Do I have anything taboo in my house? I stole a phallus from a fake cadaver while on set,’ she confides.
The former X-Files star, whose boyfriend is The Crown’s screenwriter Peter Morgan, adds: ‘Sex Education certainly does break a lot of taboos, but I think it does it in a very broad but sensitive way.’
Gillian Anderson tells me it wasn’t until she played a straight-talking sex therapist on TV’s Sex Education that she felt comfortable talking about taboo subjects herself
Even ITV boss Kevin Lygo harboured doubts over batty new talent show The Masked Singer. Panellist Jonathan Ross tells me: ‘Kevin said, ‘I hope it’s not going to be the regular B-listers [behind the mask]’.’ That’s no way to describe this week’s mystery guest, the former Home Secretary Alan Johnson . . .
Parliamentary colleagues of former prime minister Theresa May remark on how cheerful she seems. Freedom from the cares of office? Or has Boris Johnson asked her to do a job close to her heart?
There is currently a vacancy for the Second Church Estates Commissioner — the Church of England’s representative in the House of Commons. Lambeth Palace sources think vicar’s daughter Mrs May would be perfect in the post. Has Downing Street seen the light?
‘Colditz in kilts’ calls on Davina
Prince Charles’s alma mater Gordonstoun has invited TV’s Davina McCall to talk to pupils about the detrimental impact of mobile phones after she backed calls to banish them from the classroom.
Phones have been banned during the day at £40,000-a-year Gordonstoun — allegedly dubbed ‘Colditz in kilts’ by a disgruntled Charles — since 2017 and principal Lisa Kerr says it has led to more interaction among the children.
‘I am pleased that Davina seems to agree with our policy,’ says Kerr. ‘We’d be delighted to invite her to come and see our mobile phone ban in operation.’
Davina McCall is pictured at the Royal Festival Hall in London in November last year