Prince Andrew’s ceremonial banner with his heraldic insignia has been removed from St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The banners in the chapel represent members of the Order of the Garter, a prestigious British chivalry order, with each banner displaying the owner’s coat of arms.
Normally, such removal only occurs in cases of high treason or rebellion against the Crown. Prince Andrew received the honor of displaying his coat of arms in the chapel when he was admitted to the Order of the Garter 19 years ago, an institution dating back to the 14th century.
Photographs from The Sun show the banner was present on Saturday but was taken down on Wednesday. It features symbols such as the three lions of England, the harp of Ireland, Scotland’s lion rampant, and an anchor representing his naval career.
According to a source, the removal of the banner was timed conveniently. The chapel holds significance for Prince Andrew, where he attended the funerals of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, and his father, Prince Philip, 18 months earlier.
Prince Andrew reportedly voluntarily gave up his royal titles last week amidst ongoing fallout from allegations of involvement with Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking victim, Virginia Giuffre. Despite denying the accusations and settling out of court with Giuffre in 2022, calls for him to leave his mansion persist due to his connections to Epstein.
Allegations surfaced regarding Prince Andrew’s below-market rent for the property at Windsor Great Park, with claims that this information was redacted from his lease submission over two decades ago. The Mirror has reached out to the Royal Collection Trust press office for further details.