Prince Andrew ‘believes his HRH status should be RESTORED’

Prince Andrew reportedly believes his HRH title should be restored and has been lobbying the Queen to reinstate him as Colonel of Grenadier Guards.

The Duke of York, 62, lost his military titles and royal patronages in January after his family abandoned him to fight his sex abuse lawsuit in America, which he paid £12million to settle.

He allegedly wants to be present at official events alongside other Royal Family members.

Andrew has also asked for his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to be made working royals and given duties.

A source told The Telegraph: ‘The colonelcy of the Grenadier Guards was his most coveted title and he wants it back. 

‘Having remained a Counsellor of State, he also believes he should be included at royal and state events. 

‘Most importantly for him is his status a HRH and “Prince of the Blood” and he feels that should be reinstated and his position recognised and respected.’

Buckingham Palace has not commented on the claims. 

Prince Andrew is expected to attend a service to mark Garter Day at Windsor Castle on Monday with other members of the Royal Family. 

He was forced to pull out of the Queen‘s Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London after testing positive for coronavirus. 

But Andrew is now said to be ‘Covid-free’ and is therefore expected to be at the service at St George’ Chapel in Windsor for members of the Order of the Garter.

The Duke could even walk in procession from Windsor Castle to the chapel with other royals, before returning to the castle in a carriage.

A source close to Andrew told Newsweek that he is ‘still planning to attend’ the service, which will see also Camilla installed as a Royal Lady of the order. 

The monarch’s disgraced second son stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

He paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to a woman he claimed never to have met.

Andrew was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Virginia Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. The Duke denied the claims.

Andrew took a central role in escorting his mother to the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey in March. 

It came as a surprise change to the planned arrangements – only weeks earlier he had been banished from royal public life and paid to settle his court case. 

The move was taken as a sign of the monarch’s support for her son.