The Surprising Reason Prince Andrew Just Pulled Out Of His Only Platinum Jubilee Obligation

Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee is officially underway. The celebration is sure to be spectacular with events ranging from the first-ever corgi derby to a historic tribute to the late Princess Diana planned.

The Platinum Jubilee marks an impressive milestone for the queen who is celebrating her 70th year of service to the United Kingdom (via The New York Times). It's not just U.K. citizens who are celebrating her, though; fans of the royal family flew in from all over the world. "Just seeing how dedicated Her Majesty is to her role, I felt like I wanted to be a part of it," an American visitor gushed. "As soon as I left in 2018, I started saving and planning."

Even Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle made their way across the pond for the event. It marks the first time the whole family will be together following the explosive interview the couple did with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. Harry and Meghan celebrated the matriarch by attending her birthday parade (per CNN).

There was a notable absence during the celebrations, however. Prince Andrew, the queen's now-disgraced son, pulled out of his one Platinum Jubilee role for a surprising reason.

Prince Andrew, the disgraced son of Queen Elizabeth, was set to attend only one event during the four-day celebration (via People). The prince was going to take part in the National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral on Friday but will be missing the event for a reason many didn't see coming.

According to Rebecca English, the Royal Editor for Daily Mail, Prince Andrew tested positive for COVID-19 and therefore will not be in attendance. She tweeted, "The Duke of York has tested positive for covid and will not be attending tomorrow's service (the only event he would have been at). He has seen HM [Her Majesty] in the last few days but has been undertaking regular testing and has not seen her since he tested positive."

Her tweet was backed up by an official statement from a Buckingham Palace spokesperson that was shared with People. The statement read, "After undertaking a routine test, The Duke has tested positive for Covid and with regret will no longer be attending tomorrow's service."

Prince Andrew testing positive for COVID-19 after recently seeing the queen may leave some royal fans concerned for the elderly Queen Elizabeth's health, which has reportedly been declining over the last several months. The monarch herself recently had a run-in with the virus, which she says has left her exhausted even after making a full recovery (per CNN).

During an event where she spoke virtually with a former COVID-19 patient, the queen detailed how she was feeling after her recovery. She told the patient, "I'm glad that you're getting better ... It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesn't it? This horrible pandemic. It's not a nice result."

Even following her recovery, the queen has attended to many of her duties virtually due to her health concerns (via USA Today). When missing in-person events, the queen has either changed the format to virtual or sent various members of her family to represent her. As of now, however, it seems Queen Elizabeth will be present for the majority of her Platinum Jubilee events.

Though Prince Andrew is unable to attend the Platinum Jubilee, the fact that he was included at all following the accusations and recent lawsuit against him was surprising to some. In case you missed it, Andrew was one of the major celebrities tied to Jeffrey Epstein (via Vanity Fair).

Prince Andrew was accused of many shocking acts against Virginia Giuffre, who was only 17 at the time of the events. It left a lasting scar on Giuffre, who would eventually take Prince Andrew to court before settling financially (per The New York Times). The price tag on the settlement is speculated to be around $12 million, according to the New York Post.

Despite the allegations against her son, which resulted in him being stripped of his titles, Queen Elizabeth seemed to stand by him (via the Mirror). There has been a rumor for decades that Andrew is Elizabeth's favorite son. Though Prince Charles and Prince William reportedly did not want him involved in special tasks during the memorial service of Prince Philip, the queen overruled their wishes and was guided down the aisle of the church with Andrew on her arm.

Royal expert Penny Junor noted, "I think the Queen has always had a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Prince Andrew." Considering that, it's not all that surprising that he was going to be involved in the Platinum Jubilee if not for contracting COVID-19.