Prince Charles and William showed that they are now the decision makers in the Royal Family after Andrew missed out on Garter Day, say reports.
The Duke of York was forced to remain out of sight during the Garter Day procession after a "family decision" was taken to limit his appearance to a behind-the-scenes lunch and investiture ceremony.
As the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge and other senior royals went through the grounds of Windsor Castle for a church service commemorating the Order of the Garter, Andrew stayed behind closed doors.
The Queen was willing to listen to the opinions of Charles and William who ruled out the presence of Andrew, said a Telegraph source.
In fact Andrew thought that he was going to take part in the Windsor Castle procession until the Queen delivered the news to him that he could not take part in the parade in front of the world’s media.
“There are two roles in this situation, a mother and a monarch, and the Queen looks at it both ways,” said a Telegraph source. “A mother will always have an interest in her son’s well-being.
“When it comes to the monarchy, there are other people in the family who are also now entitled to a view.”
It was, another source said, an exercise in “clarity” for a Duke who still asks for more of his royal responsibility back.
“There is a difference between constantly asking and being given,” they said. “Mothers have a way of letting us down gently, sometimes so we don’t even notice.”
The occasion laid bare the Royal Family's problem - what formal role, if any, can Andrew play after his reputation was severely tarnished by his involvement in a civil sexual assault case.
And it also exposed the internal struggle between senior members of the Royal Family and the Duke's reported desire to be reinstated as a working royal.
The Queen had signalled her support for Andrew - rumoured to be her favourite child - by arriving with him for the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial service in March.
Andrew provided a steady arm for the Queen as she walked into Westminster Abbey to remember the life of her husband, a few weeks after he reached a multimillion-pound out-of-court settlement in a civil sexual assault case.
But there has been speculation senior members of the royal family did not approve of his appearance and it appears the Queen has conceded to their views regarding Garter Day staged at Windsor Castle.
Around 4,500 spectators within the castle walls watched the colourful procession of Garter Knight and Ladies dressed in blue velvet mantles, red velvet hoods, black velvet hats and white ostrich plumes.
It was joined for the first time by Duchess of Cornwall who has been appointed a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter.
