Prince Andrew spotted in public after frosty exchange with William at Duchess of Kent funeral

Prince Andrew was photographed in public for the first time since attending the Duchess of Kent's funeral, seen leaving his home at Royal Lodge in a Range Rover on Friday morning. The outing, reportedly headed toward Windsor Great Park for a ride, comes amid ongoing questions about the prince’s standing within the royal sphere following revelations tied to his relationship with financier Jeffrey Epstein and the fallout from that saga.

At Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday, where the royal family paid tribute to Katharine Kent, Andrew was observed muttering a few words to his nephew Prince William, who offered only a brief nod in response as the exchange appeared strained. A body language expert described the moment as visibly frosty, noting that William’s non-verbal cues suggested awkwardness during the brief interaction. Andrew was photographed attempting to engage in small talk, while William’s facial expressions and posture indicated a cooling of the conversation.

The analysis by Judi James, a body language expert, said the exchange reflected a broader discomfort in the room. James described Andrew as trying to initiate a light-hearted chat, while William’s signals—such as a limited head tilt, reduced eye contact, and what she called an exaggerated nose touch—pointed to a desire to maintain distance. She also highlighted a moment when William rose to his full height and then settled back, a gesture she said can signal a closing of the subject. James framed William’s behavior as an attempt to stay polite while preserving the solemn mood of the occasion, even as private tensions lingered.

Lip-reading commentary added another layer to the recounting of the day. Jacqui Press, a lip reader cited by outlets covering the service, claimed the conversations that followed included pleasantries, such as “It was a beautiful service” and “Aren't we lucky with the weather today.” The Waleses reportedly exited the scene relatively quickly after the King entered the State Bentley, while Queen Consort Camilla and other royals maintained a more formal departure.

In the days since the funeral, attention has remained on Andrew’s relationship with Epstein and the enduring scrutiny surrounding the Royal Family’s handling of the fallout. The revelations have fed into broader debates about accountability and succession within a monarchy that continues to navigate modern expectations. Historian Andrew Lownie’s forensic biography of Andrew, titled Entitled, sparked fresh shockwaves within royal circles, with passages removed for legal reasons, a move the author said was necessary even as it raised questions about the monarchy’s resilience under pressure. The disclosures—coupled with ongoing media coverage—have reinforced a narrative of tension around the duchy and its most controversial figure.

Following the service, Andrew was seen engaging with staff and later waiting at the side of the building, fiddling with the tails of his morning coat as his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and other attendees carried on with their conversations. The episode underscores the fraught dynamics that have accompanied the Duke of York’s public return to scenes once reserved for a broader display of royal unity. While the palace has offered no public comments on the personal tensions described by observers, the public record from the event continues to fuel discussion about how the family balances tradition with the realities of scrutiny in the modern era, including the long shadow cast by Epstein-era associations and the resulting reputational recalibrations at Windsor.