Queen Elizabethwas spotted horse riding with sonPrince Andrewamid the announcement that he is “stepping back from public duties.”
The mother-son duo were seeing riding with two escorts around the Windsor Castle estate on Friday. Both were bundled up in long coats, with the 93-year-old monarch covering up her head with a hood, while Andrew, 59, sported a helmet.
It was revealed Wednesday that the Queen gave permission for her son to “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future” in the aftermath of hisexplosive BBC interviewabout his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“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 and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support,” Prince Andrew said in a statement. “Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth.Ben Cawthra/Sipa
But moments after the announcement,Queen Elizabethwasback to business as usual— she was all smiles in a light pink ensemble with a diamond brooch as she arrived at the Royal institute of International Affairs in London to present an award to Sir David Attenborough and Julian Hector, head of the BBC Natural History Unit, for their work on theBlue Planet IIseries.
Ben Cawthra/Sipa
The monarch even retained her sense of humor at the event, cracking a joke about her 72nd wedding anniversary toPrince Philipbefore signing the visitors’ book.
“What’s the date?” she cheekily asked. And when she got an answer, she replied with a laugh: “Well, of course I know what the date is!”
Queen Elizabeth.Eddie Mulholland - WPA Pool/Getty
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
Prince Andrew initially believed that hiscontroversial interview went “quite well.”On Sunday, Andrew accompanied his motherQueen Elizabethto church at Windsor and is reported to have told her that he thought the interview was a success. Buckingham Palace won’t confirm conversations between members of the family, but say that she was “aware” of the interview.
source: people.com
