Former Prince Andrew Makes a Surprising Public Appearance as He "Sneaked In" at Event to Support Duchess Sophie
The exiled royal attended an event alongside senior royals for the first time since moving to Sandringham.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been staying out of the spotlight since he was evicted from Royal Lodge and moved to the Sandringham estate earlier this year, but over the weekend, the former Duke of York made his first public appearance of 2026 while supporting two senior members of the Royal Family.
The ex-duke was spotted attending the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials on Sunday, June 28, where Duchess Sophie was competing. Her husband, Prince Edward, was also at the equestrian event, although the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's daughter, Lady Louise, who typically competes in the carriage driving trials, didn't attend this year.
In photos shared by the Sun, Andrew is wearing a light blue shirt and sunglasses as he drives himself home from the event in his Land Rover. An onlooker told the publication that “Andrew sneaked in and sneaked out and definitely didn’t want to be seen.”
Duchess Sophie is pictured at the 2026 Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor hasn't attended an event in the public eye since the September 2025 funeral of the Duchess of Kent.
“But I saw Andrew leave the field at 10:30 a.m., just after Sophie had ridden her round, then I saw Edward walking towards his car smiling shortly afterwards,” the attendee added.
The Sandringham Horse Driving Trials were created by Prince Philip in 1982, and both the Duchess of Edinburgh and Lady Louise have followed in his footsteps with their love of the sport. Sophie took part in the "SanDrivingHam" Challenge, showing off her carriage driving skills on the estate.
Prince Edward, dressed casually in a green polo shirt, was not seen interacting with his brother, but is reported to be staying at Wood Farm, where Andrew previously lived on the estate before moving to his permanent home, Marsh Farm.
