Prince Andrew will use his central role at Westminster Abbey as a springboard to support his mother at a Platinum Jubilee service at St Paul's Cathedral in June and is not bothered if 'public opinion is against him', it was claimed today.

The Duke of York is said to have been 'emboldened' by the Queen's decision to travel with him from Windsor and to let him walk her to and from her seat on Tuesday at an event watched by millions. 

It came amid reports of a rift between palace aides over the decision and explosive claims that senior members of the Royal Family only found out the night before.

The Duke of York is said to be determined to be at the service at St Paul's on June 3, viewing it as a tribute to his mother in the same way Tuesday's service was a tribute to his father Prince Philip. 

The shamed royal is also disinterested in 'the weight of public opinion' against him, according to The Sun, especially after the Queen is reported to have overruled Prince Charles and Prince William to allow her disgraced son to escort mersin her.

'While he accepts that he no longer has a fully participatory role as a core member of the firm, there will be family events where he will want to be present,' an insider said. 

Andrew is trying to become a replacement for Prince Philip as the Queen's unofficial adviser and confidante, it has been claimed.

The Duke of York is to be the most regular visitor to the Queen at Windsor Castle.

He has no official royal duties left and lives just three miles away at his seven-bedroom Royal Lodge home.

But royal aides have no involvement in discussions between the Queen and her so-called 'favourite son' after he was effectively kicked out of the Royal Family by the Queen in January, reported the .

And their recent conversations would have come at a time when Prince William was out of the country with Kate Middleton on a royal tour in the Caribbean last week, while Prince Charles was on tour in Ireland with Camilla.

During March, before Tuesday's service, Andrew has been pictured driving or horse riding in Windsor nine times - on March 28, 26, 25, 24, 22, 21, 15, 14 and 8 - but it is not known whether he saw the Queen on all of these days.

The Queen clearly still values Andrew as a family member - and there are concerns within royal circles that he could use his role at Tuesday's memorial to put in an appearance over the Platinum Jubilee weekend this June.

While Prince Charles and Prince William feel Andrew should play no part in any royal events, speculation is now mounting that the Queen could invite him to the service at St Paul's Cathedral on June 3 to mark her jubilee.

His appearance walking down the aisle with her at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday was a surprise to many - including Royal Family members who only found out when it was happening, according to the Telegraph.

One insider claimed: 'They didn't know until it happened.

The plan changed.' The idea that he was positioning himself as her 'plus one' - and that this only emerged last minute - has been denied by sources close to Andrew.

The Duke of York's presence at the service had been known for weeks in advance, but his central role was only revealed hours earlier by royal expert Robert Jobson who said Andrew 'may play a prominent role than we think' 

The disgraced royal, who just weeks ago paid millions out of court to settle a civil sex assault case with a woman he said he had never met, accompanied the Queen almost the whole way to her seat in a shock move on Tuesday.

Andrew had been banished from royal life, first bowing out of royal duties in 2019 after his disastrous BBC Newsnight appearance over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.