Prince Andrew seen laughing at Duchess of Kent's funeral as crowds gasp at his arrival

Prince Andrew was yesterday seen laughing outside Westminster Cathedral as he attended the Duchess of Kent's funeral.

The Duke of York, 65, joined other members of the Royal Family - including ex-wife Sarah Ferguson - for the private memorial. Crowds gasped at his unexpected appearance at the ceremony, which celebrated the life of Katharine, the wife of the late Queen's cousin the Duke of Kent, who died aged 92 on Thursday September 4.

As the royals left the emotional service, Prince Andrew was seen chuckling as he appeared to share a joke with Fergie. The Duke also broke into laughter while standing next to Prince William, who looked visibly uncomfortable and embarrassed.

William - and other members of The Firm - were pictured with sadder expressions outside Westminster Cathedral following the sombre memorial to the Duchess of Kent, who had passed away surrounded by family members.

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Although Andrew stepped down as a working royal, he was given a prominent position in the front row for the service on Tuesday. Members of the public outside the cathedral, though, gasped as Andrew and Sarah made their way into the building to find their seats. A police escort led the couple, who still live together, from their home at Royal Lodge in Windsor to the London location.

Photographs have now emerged of Andrew laughing following the service, after he and senior members of the Royal Family - including his brother King Charles - left Westminster Cathedral.

The Duchess of Kent's heartbroken family - including her husband the Duke of Kent - were earlier pictured arriving at the service. The Duchess’s three children - George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor and Lord Nicholas Taylor - as well as her ten grandchildren dressed in black to honour Katherine.

But the Duke of York was accused of sexual abuse by one of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent victims, Virginia Giuffre. Father-of-two Andrew has denied these accusations.

The family of Ms Giuffre have now called for the Duke of York to be fully investigated. Ms Giuffre, who took her own life in April, claimed Epstein introduced her to Andrew at the age of 17 in 2001, and that he sexually abused her three times.

The prince, who has always denied the claims, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022, believed to be upwards of £12million. Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffre's brother, told the BBC on Sunday: "It doesn't matter if it's a Royal Family member or president or prince... every single person deserves to be held to the fullest extent of the law."