We must show forgiveness, says Welby as he praises Duke of York

THE DUKE OF YORK is “seeking to make amends”, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said, as he called for society to be more “forgiving”.

The Most Rev Justin Welby made the comments in an interview ahead of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations that start tomorrow.

The Archbishop will miss a jubilee service of thanksgiving on Friday after testing positive for Covid. He is resting at home and has cancelled all engagements this week.

In February, the Duke paid a reputed £12million to his sexual abuse accuser in order to settle a high-profile civil case out of court. He accepted no liability and has always strongly rejected claims of wrongdoing.

The Duke also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Now, the Archbishop has suggested that it was right for the Duke to accompany the Queen to the Thanksgiving service for Prince Philip in March. He told ITV News: “At a big public occasion,

‘One of the ways we celebrate when we come together is in learning to be a more forgiving society’

the Queen is fully entitled to have one of her children supporting her. Forgiveness really does matter. We have become a very unforgiving society.

“There’s a difference between consequences and forgiveness. I think for all of us, one of the ways that we celebrate when we come together is in learning to be a more open and forgiving society.

“Now, with Prince Andrew, I think we all have to step back a bit. He’s seeking to make amends and I think that’s a very good thing. You can’t tell people how to respond about this and the issues of the past in the area of abuse are so intensely personal and private for so many people, it’s not surprising there’s very deep feelings indeed.”

He commented on the “fracturing” of the Royal family, and the divide between Princes William and Harry: “Of course, it’s sad when families are struggling, but what family, isn’t?”

“I think if there’s any family where the relationships are perfect, they’re entitled to judge, but I’m not going to.”

Last month, the Archbishop said he was “appalled” at the Government’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as he described the policy as “ungodly”.

His remarks prompted criticism from Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, and other MPS who argued that the Archbishop should not be wading into debates regarding government policy and that “church was separated from state a long time ago”.