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British RoyalsThe Yorks

Prince Andrew to miss Jubilee service after positive Covid test

While there have been debates for months about whether or not he should be able to attend the Platinum Jubilee celebrations publicly, Prince Andrew will not be attending the Service of Thanksgiving on Friday, 3 June at St. Paul’s Cathedral because he has tested positive for Covid.

As reported in The Guardian, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed the case: “After undertaking a routine test the duke has tested positive for Covid and with regret will no longer be attending tomorrow’s service.” It has been reported that while The Duke of York has recently spent time with his mother ahead of her Platinum Jubilee, he has not seen her since he tested positive.

It was announced on May 31 that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, would be unable to perform the service as he tested positive and is also suffering from a mild case of pneumonia. Welby was also scheduled to light a Jubilee beacon at Lambeth Palace.

The Service of Thanksgiving has been a key event in all British Jubilee events, including The Queen’s 1977 Silver Jubilee, 2002 Golden Jubilee, and 2012 Platinum Jubilee. Prince Philip was unable to attend the 2012 Service of Thanksgiving as he was in hospital with a bladder infection.

The Duke’s attendance at a memorial service for his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, caused controversy after he walked his mother into the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Prince Andrew gave up all his patronages and military associations earlier this year after Virginia Giuffre brought a civil court case against him in the US. The Duke denied allegations of sexual assault but settled the case out of court for an undisclosed sum.

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