Prince Andrew’s Royal standard flag has been removed from the roof of The Royal Lodge, his palatial home in Windsor Great Park after his car crash interview over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
The Duke of York has been under pressure as a result of his friendship with US paedophile financier Jeffery Epstien.
The 59-year-old Royal attempted to deflect criticism of this friendship in a sit-down interview with Emily Maitliss inside Buckingham Palace.
In this photograph of The Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, taken on April 6, the Duke of York’s standard can be seen flying above the palatial property. The standard is flown whenever Prince Andrew is in residence
Each of the Queen’s four children has their own Standard, with Prince Andrew’s featuring a blue anchor to represent his time in the Royal Navy
In a photograph taken on Friday – when Prince Andrew was in residence and out riding with The Queen – the Standard was not flying in its usual place with even the flag pole missing
Prince Andrew, circled left, was photographed earlier this week riding with the Queen, circled right, in the grounds of Windsor Castle
Since the interview, Prince Andrew has been forced to step back from public life and many organisations have reviewed their relationship with him.
Today it has emerged that Prince Andrew’s personal Royal Standard has been removed from the Royal Lodge at Windsor Great Park.
Each of the Queen’s four children have their own personalised versions of the standard which they are allowed to fly over their homes and Prince Charles has his version ceremoniously hoisted on the roof whenever he is at his London home Clarence House.
Prince Andrew has flown the Duke of York Royal Standard from the flagpole above the 30-room The Royal Lodge for years whenever he has been in residence.
Visitors to Windsor today noticed the missing Royal Standard, which is complete with a small blue anchor to represent his position as Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy, was significantly absent on the roof of the house he shares with Sarah, Duchess of York and their two daughters Beatrice and Eugenie.
Photographs taken this Friday when Prince Andrew was at home after being photographed nearby in the Great Park horse riding with The Queen show that not only was his distinctive Standard no longer in place on top of The Great Lodge, but the flag pole which held it had been completely removed too.
Prince Andrew’s flag has what is known as a ‘three-point label’, which refers to the three white marks at the top of the flag. The middle point is charged with a blue anchor in recognition of his career in the Royal Navy.
His two children have their own bedrooms at Royal Lodge and stay frequently at weekends, even though Eugenie also has an apartment at Kensington Palace and Beatrice has an apartment at St James’s Palace.
The Duke of York has faced a torrid time since his car crash interview with Emily Maitlis on BBC Newsnight.
The Duke of York’s Royal Standard, pictured, features a blue anchor to note his navy service
Prince Andrew, pictured, has been under fire since he appeared on BBC Newsnight
He has reportedly resigned from his role with his flagship business project Pitch@Palace after days of speculation about his future with the initiative he founded.
Andrew appears to have bowed to pressure and stepped down a day after one sponsor said his plans to continue leading Pitch were “not tenable”.
High-profile business sponsors KPMG, Standard Chartered and Inmarsat, a British satellite telecommunications company, have all said they would not renew their financial support for Pitch while Barclays, a partner of the project, ended its association on Friday.
The Daily Telegraph reported sources as saying Andrew was no longer leading Pitch, which would continue without any royal involvement.
Beleaguered Andrew also faces the prospect of Virginia Giuffre – an alleged Jeffrey Epstein victim who claims she had under-age sex with the duke, which he strenuously denies – being interviewed on BBC’s Panorama programme early in December.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) was among a number of organisations which announced on Friday they would no longer be involved with Andrew, following the controversy around his friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein.
The day after the Duke of York’s offices at Buckingham Palace were cleared out as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal engulfed the monarchy, it can be revealed that Prince Andrew has removed his personal Royal Standard flag from the roof of The Royal Lodge, his palatial home in Windsor Great Park.
Perhaps the most recognisable symbol of the monarchy, the Royal Standard flag flutters above any Royal palace where the Queen is in residence.
Buckingham Palace said they do not wish to comment on the missing Royal Standard.
