Lonely Prince Andrew: 'Defiant but isolated' at latest royal event

The Queen's unconditional support of her son was evident in her decision to have him as her escort. But the same olive branch wasn't offered by the rest of The Firm. Photo / Getty Images

A body language expert has revealed how a disgraced Prince Andrew is now faring among his family after observing telling interactions at Prince Philip's memorial service.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Judi James said the Prince - who recently paid £12 million ($22.6m) to settle a sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre - appeared "defiant and isolated".

And senior royals "avoided eye contact and acted like they didn't see him" as the Prince escorted his mother, the Queen, to her late husband's Thanksgiving of Life service.

James described Princes Charles and William as looking "uneasy" when they saw Andrew's rather prominent role in the proceedings. She said the Duke of York was wholly "shunned by the royal family and didn't interact warmly with them".

Prince Andrew was seen to maintain an air of "non-verbal arrogance". He even waved to the cameras on his way home. Photo / Getty Images

However, the Queen's unconditional support of her son was evident in her decision to have him as her escort. Despite his mum keeping him nearby, he didn't stick around for any more opportunities to be outcast by his siblings. Instead of attending a post-service reception, the Daily Mail reports the Duke made haste to drive back to Westminster with his mother.

"Only his mother threw him anything bordering on a 'welcome back' smile", James told the Daily Mail and said as for the rest of The Firm, they "seemed to attempt to act as though they hadn't even seen him".

When Andrew took his seat next to his brother, Prince Edward, James noted there wasn't even a nod or a greeting.

Edward and his wife Sophie are often used as "the buffers of the royal firm", employed to keep things cordial among the likes of William and Harry on their last public outing.

However, there were "no signs of warmth or connection" until the congregation broke into song. Here it is alleged Andrew turned to speak to Edward and Sophie but their response was stone cold.

But Prince Andrew's dear old mum kept her son's spirits up by giving him the role of escort on the emotional day.

It was Andrew who was chosen from her four children, "even standing behind his mother with his hands clasped behind his back, joining in the smiles and the laughter as she chatted to some of the speakers, looking poignantly like a stand-in for his late father, whose memory they were respecting", notes James.

As he was made to feel like a pariah by the rest of the family, Andrew, in turn, displayed an air of "non-verbal arrogance", according to James. He even waved to the cameras on his way home.

"Those spectacles perched on the end of his nose suggested his tendency to non-verbal arrogance is still holding firm, while his wave to the cameras could be seen as something of a victory role," she says.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claims a royal expert has noted Prince Charles and Prince William must be "disappointed and uneasy" over Andrew's role in the service.

And royal commentators said the surprise move was Her Majesty's way of "very clearly stating that he has a role at family occasions" and that "many people will now accept the Queen's word and judgment".