Aides say that the Duke of York “is still the Queen’s son” but will no longer have any public roleThe Duke of York’s birthday today was “a quiet day” at Royal Lodge, Windsor. There was little to celebrate after a torrid week for the monarchy in which the prince reached an out-of-court settlement with a victim of sex trafficking, a police inquiry into cash-for-honours claims at the charitable foundation of his brother, the Prince of Wales, was announced and his nephew, the Duke of Sussex, fought the Home Office in court over his security. The Queen celebrates her 96th birthday in a few weeks — how she must hope for the gift of peace and quiet in her Platinum Jubilee year. Soldiering on last week with engagements at Windsor Castle, leaning on her walking stick, she acknowledged: “As you can see, I can’t move.”

Source: The Times February 19, 2022 23:37 UTC