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Prince Andrew (archive image)
Photo: Steve Parsons / dpa
A few days after the out-of-court settlement in an abuse scandal, Britain's Prince Andrew turned 62.
The birthday marks the "beginning of the royal's isolation," reported the PA news agency on Saturday.
Hardly anything was publicly noticeable about Andrew's day of honor anyway: Unlike last year, the government in London ordered no flags to be displayed on government buildings for 2022.
Andrew had agreed this week with the American Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of repeatedly sexually abusing her when she was a minor, on a settlement that is believed to be worth millions.
In doing so, he averted a reputation-damaging civil lawsuit in the United States.
But even without this process, his image is ruined: the Queen has already stripped her second eldest son of his military ranks and patronage, and the Royal has not been allowed to attend public appointments for a long time.
There have also been calls for him to relinquish his title of Duke of York.
Most recently, the City of York's culture commissioner announced in the Guardian that they wanted to strip Andrew of his honorary citizenship.
The return as a public face in the inner circle of the royals is considered almost impossible.
There is currently speculation as to whether Andrew will be allowed to attend the memorial service for his father Prince Philip at the end of March.
Andrew is also reportedly not playing a public role on his mother Queen Elizabeth II's big jubilee.
The concern that his scandal could overshadow the 70th anniversary is apparently great.
wit/dpa