In late November, Prince Andrew stepped down from public duties, when the long-simmering scandal over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein erupted after a disastrous interview on the BBC. Exactly what that meant for Andrew’s involvement in the royal family was murky in the months that followed. Buckingham Palace emphasized that he was still a part of the family, and he still attended the Palace Christmas party. By December, the tabloid controversy was still raging, and his signature initiative Pitch@Palace, a Shark Tank-style investors conference, had been asked to leave the Palace. Since then, Andrew has been avoiding the spotlight while sticking close to his family, but a few pieces of news from the weekend suggest he might be trying to reemerge.

Last week, Andrew caused some confusion when he brought his family to dine with the Chinese ambassador to Britain, at the ambassador’s residence. On Saturday morning, Ambassador Liu Xiaoming tweeted a photograph of the two at dinner, saying Queen Elizabeth’s words about coronavirus had been “conveyed by the Duke of York.” In a subsequent tweet, the ambassador said he invited Andrew to the residence, along with a photo that showed Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice, and her fiancé, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in attendance as well.

The palace later said, “it was a private meeting, we won’t comment on what was, or was not conveyed,” according to ITV’s Chris Ship.

On Sunday morning, the Telegraph reported that the global arm of Pitch@Palace—the one he couldn’t be forced to relinquish—had removed Andrew’s name. After Andrew stepped back from royal duties, six of the not-for-profit company’s eight directors resigned, but according to the newspaper, the prince is still listed as a “significant” controller in its registration papers. According to the Daily Mail, the part of the website that used to list Andrew’s name now reads that the organization is taking the start of 2020 to “refresh the brand.”

Taken together, the two developments are an apt illustration of why the scandal around Andrew still hasn’t gone away. Just weeks after a deal struck with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry meant that the couple could no longer speak on behalf of the crown, the Palace still hasn’t figured out how to settle Andrew’s status, and is choosing to keep the discussion behind closed doors.

More Great Stories from Vanity Fair

— Inside the breakdown of Harry’s relationship with the queen

— All of the looks from the Golden Globes 2020 red carpet

— Royal family “hurt” and “devastated” by Harry and Meghan’s bombshell exit

— Elizabeth Wurtzel’s unfinished work

— Meet Carole Ghosn, the wife ensnared in Carlos’s saga

— Emilia Clarke on life after Khaleesi

— From the Archive: Diana’s revenge

Looking for more? Sign up for our daily newsletter and never miss a story.