Prince Andrew, Duke of York was noticeably absent from a birthday tribute shared for his younger brother Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, weeks after the disgraced royal’s recent arrest.
To mark Edward’s 62nd birthday on Tuesday, the Royal Collection Trust posted a throwback photo on Instagram showing the Duke of Edinburgh playing with his older siblings, King Charles III and Princess Anne. Andrew was not included in the image.
“Happy birthday to The Duke of Edinburgh, born on this day in 1964,” the caption read. “Prince Edward plays with his big brother and sister in this photo from 1969.”
The omission comes less than a month after Andrew, 66, was arrested on his birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly forwarding confidential trade documents to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew was released the same day but could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.
In recent years, the British royal family has taken several steps to distance itself from the former Duke of York following scrutiny over his links to Epstein.
In October 2025, Andrew said that “continued accusations” against him and his association with Epstein had become a distraction from the work of King Charles III and the wider royal family. He subsequently agreed to step back from public life.
Later that month, he was stripped of his title and given formal notice to vacate Royal Lodge, the Windsor residence he had shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2008.
The pair were evicted from the property in February. Andrew has since moved to Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate, while Ferguson, 66, is reportedly looking for separate accommodation.
Andrew’s legal controversies date back several years. In 2021, he was sued for sexual assault by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, allegations he strongly denied. Giuffre died by suicide in April last year.
The case was settled out of court in February 2022, shortly after Andrew was stripped of his military titles, royal patronages and the use of the “His Royal Highness” style.
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