Twitter Furious Queen Elizabeth Chose Prince Andrew As Her Escort To Prince Philip's Memorial Service

Queen Elizabeth II arrived at Prince Philip's memorial service accompanied by her second son, Prince Andrew, and many were not happy at the sight of the disgraced royal being the monarch's escort.

There were various speculations weeks before the event if the Queen would attend the memorial service due to her health. On Tuesday, Her Majesty arrived at Westminster Abbey for her late husband's thanksgiving memorial service. The monarch, dealing with mobility issues, was accompanied by the Duke of York, putting the latter front and center at the gathering, People reported. She was holding a cane in one hand and holding her son in the other as they made their way inside the chapel.

Several netizens were furious because the Queen chose Prince Andrew as her escort. According to them, it only showed that the Queen still supported her son despite the controversies that plagued him in the past months. Prince Andrew was sued by Virginia Giuffre for sexual assault. But he already settled the lawsuit in February for an undisclosed amount.

"Allowing shamed Prince Andrew to escort the Queen was a colossal mistake — my take on using a memorial service to rehabilitate a shunned royal," Daily Mirror associate editor Kevin Maguire tweeted.

"Allowing Prince Andrew to walk The Queen into Westminster Abbey was a terrible decision by Buckingham Palace. What does it say to victims of sexual assault? Terrible optics just days after a poorly organized tour," another online user wrote.

"So again the Royal Family shows how arrogant & out of touch they are with Prince Andrew escorting the Queen at Prince Phillip's memorial. Whilst accepting his right to attend, he should have entered by a private entrance & sat out of sight. He is a disgrace. Time for a republic," another commented.

However, many also understood Her Majesty's decision, after all, it was a family event. Prince Andrew would always be one of the Queen and Prince Philip's four children. Some also agreed that the Duke of York was the best escort because he didn't have a spouse to accompany him, and so he could look after his mother.

"Of course, this is a service for Prince Andrew's father. He lost a parent last year. And the Queen, now a widow, needed a family member to support her," ITV News royal editor Chris Ship wrote. "This was also her firm wish. But given the damage Andrew has done to his mother's institution — it was a bold move by the Queen."

"He was the only sibling that isn't currently married so wasn't being accompanied by a spouse (and children in respect of Edward)," another netizen commented.

"After 70 years of service, if she wants her son's support at her husband's funeral, who are we to question or deny her? He settled with Ms. Guiffre and will no longer be in public life, which is enough," a third user added.

According to royal biographer Robert Jobson, there was disquiet among senior members of the royal family as Prince Andrew escorted the Queen to the memorial service. However, Her Majesty "insisted" to have the Duke of York as her escort for a reason.

"It does make some sense that he accompany her because he doesn't have a partner. A settlement has been paid, but he's guilty of nothing in the eyes of the law," the "Prince Philip's Century" author told People. "She has faith in Andrew. Even if he disappears from public life, he's been able to pay tribute to his father, who after all, was very proud of his service in the Royal Navy, where he fought in the Falkland Islands conflict."

According to 7NEWS Australia, over 1,800 guests attended the service. The event was "lovely and quite short" because the palace aides reportedly wanted to ensure the Queen's comfort that she would not sit for too long or walk too far into the abbey.

Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Princess Beatrice and more were present. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were noticeably missing. The royal couple already announced earlier this month that they would not be flying to London for the event but wished to visit the Queen soon.