Prince Andrew's Uncomfortable Encounter with Well-Wishers on Christmas Caught on Camera

A crowd of well-wishers captured a bizarre exchange with the Duke of York, who is no longer a working member of the royal family

Prince Andrew’s strange exchange with well-wishers during the royal family’s annual Christmas Day church outing is going viral.

The Duke of York, 63, asked members of the public who came to see the royal family’s stroll to St. Mary Magdalene near Sandringham House in Norfolk why they were filming, and added that they should see what it’s like on “this side.”

“How are you? Where have you come from?” Prince Andrew asked members of the crowd in a video shared by Daily Mail. A well-wisher answered that they were from Spalding, about an hour away.

“I find this fascinating. Why does everybody have their cameras on?” the Duke of York then asked. “But why do that?”

Related: U.K. Police Say There's No Investigation as Prince Andrew Named in Epstein Files

“We're not the press,” another person said, which prompted laughter from the crowd.

Clarifying that it’s “not about whether you are the press or not,” King Charles’ younger brother continued, “It's just, why video?”

“Cause it’s just lovely, lovely moments,” a well-wisher said, but Andrew didn’t seem dissuaded.

“You ought to come and stand on this side and see what it's like,” the Duke of York said. “All you have is a lot of cameras facing you,” he continued, adding “It’s a really bizarre sensation.”

Elsewhere in the crowd, someone called for “Sarah” — Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who joined the royals for the Christmas stroll for the first time since the 1990s. Andrew then bid the group goodbye and walked away.

The moment marked a rare conversation with Prince Andrew caught on camera, as the Duke of York is no longer a working member of the royal family and rarely attends official outings. Andrew stepped back from his royal role in 2019 following his bombshell interview with the BBC about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and was stripped of his military titles and patronages by his mother Queen Elizabeth in January 2022 after he attempted to have Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed.

Related: Why King Charles Can't Remove Prince Andrew's Royal Titles amid Epstein Files Reveal

While the Duke of York has denied any wrongdoing and settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed amount in February 2022, he has continued to join the royals for holiday church outings (although he has not participated in the royal family's public walkabout in recent years) and attended King Charles’ coronation in May 2023.

The new video came to light after Prince Andrew was named in court filings tied to Epstein that were unsealed last week, but British police say there are no plans for a probe at this time.

Last Friday, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement, "We are aware of the release of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein. As with any matter, should new and relevant information be brought to our attention we will assess it. No investigation has been launched," according to Sky News.

The U.K. police previously said they would not be taking action against Prince Andrew in 2021 after Giuffre filed a civil sexual abuse lawsuit against the royal. Giuffre's lawsuit claimed that Prince Andrew forced her to have sex with him three separate times between 1999 and 2002 — accusations that Queen Elizabeth's second son has consistently denied.

The documents released last week come from a 2015 lawsuit filed by Giuffre against Epstein, who died by suicide while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. In the filings, accuser Johanna Sjoberg alleged Prince Andrew placed his hand on her breast while posing for a group photo with Giuffre, Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and a puppet bearing Andrew's likeness.

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Prince Andrew previously admitted to knowing Epstein but has denied any wrongdoing.

In 2019, the Duke of York sat for a bombshell interview with the BBC, where he also said he had “no recollection of ever meeting" Giuffre. When journalist Emily Maitlis raised the issue of a photo showing the royal with his arm around Giuffre's waist, he claimed, "I have absolutely no memory of that photograph ever being taken."

Following the interview (which has inspired the upcoming Netflix film Scoop and Amazon limited series A Very Royal Scandal, per Variety), Prince Andrew announced his decision to "step back from public duties."

“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support,” he said in the statement at the time. “Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”

“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required."

Prince Andrew retained his title as the Duke of York and place in the line of succession to the throne, which is currently eighth behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's two children. However, he no longer uses the style "His Royal Highness" in any official capacity.

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