Monday was Commonwealth Day in the UK, and the left-behind royals sauntered into Westminster Abbey at around 4 pm GMT for the “Commonwealth service.” I have no idea why the church service started so late in the day, other than royal schedules probably revolve around the Princess of Wales’s access to her Wig Closet. The late afternoon start gave Republic a lot of time to gather a large group of demonstrators outside the Abbey, and that meant that photographers got a lot of shots of those photogenic yellow signs. Protestors also created their own signs, mostly involving photos from the Epstein Files of Prince Andrew with young women/little girls. The protestors were crazy-loud too, and there were more people protesting the left-behinds than royal supporters there to see the Windsors. Keep in mind, the service was also the first “big event” for the family since Prince Andrew was arrested at Wood Farm on February 19th. All in all, it went poorly. All of the coverage centered around the protests and the fact that the BBC didn’t even broadcast the service. *sad clown noise*
Kate Middleton, Prince William, King Charles and other members of the royal family faced protesters at their largest public gathering since the former Prince Andrew’s arrest. On Monday, March 9, the royals attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London, where they were met with protesters from the anti-monarchy group Republic.
“What did you know?” spelled out a row of bright yellow posters held by the protesters, seemingly referencing Andrew’s connection to the late Jeffrey Epstein. Other signs held by the protesters included anti-monarchy messages and more references to the ex-Prince Andrew.
The Commonwealth Day service was the royal family’s largest gathering since Andrew, 66, was arrested on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew’s arrest in February — the first of a royal since 1649, when King Charles I was beheaded for high treason — sent shock waves through the House of Windsor and raised questions about accountability and privilege.
“If it comes out that people knew stuff — whether it be members of the family or police or staffers — then heads must roll,” Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy, tells PEOPLE.
A palace insider adds: “Other events have rocked the monarchy, but something from within — where someone is being arrested — is very different. This is much more serious.”
As someone covering the aftermath of Andrew’s arrest in real time, let me tell you what happened. For about a full week after his arrest, it felt like the sky was falling on the House of Windsor. It felt like they weren’t going to keep calm and carry on, and that some major changes were afoot. But since then, it’s felt less urgent. I think people are still justifiably pissed and the investigations are clearly on-going, but something else has set in. Something like… widespread simmering anger, if not rage. The feeling that the Windsors are deeply unpopular across the board and nothing will actually “fix” this situation. There’s also a sense that there are other shoes left to drop, and once the next big things happen in the coming months, there will be no going back.
BREAKING NEWS: Protestors have asked Charles and William ‘What did you know about Andrew?’ at the Commonwealth Day Service. It’s time for the royals to stop dodging accountability. #NotMyKing #AbolishTheMonarchy #Epstein pic.twitter.com/EbGTZ0S6Kk
— Republic (@RepublicStaff) March 9, 2026
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.
