Prince Andrew Risked Embarrassing His Mother, Per Politician

Queen Elizabeth wears a white and black jacket and her son ex-Prince Andrew looks stern in the background — (Image credit: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has experienced a multitude of changes in recent months. After being demoted by his brother, King Charles, Andrew lost his right to use any official royal titles, and he also vacated his home, Royal Lodge in Windsor. On his 66th birthday, the ex-Duke of York was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office due to information contained in the Jeffrey Epstein files—he was released after questioning. Now, a former politician is weighing in on some of Andrew's misfortunes.

Writing for the Daily Mail, the U.K.'s former prime minister, Boris Johnson, explained, "[T]he last conversation I had with Andrew—took place when I was PM, and I was for some reason deputed to tell him that he could not attend some big public ceremony, for fear of embarrassing his mother [Queen Elizabeth II] and the whole institution of the monarchy."

Johnson continued, "This time I had to go to Windsor to break the bad news...He was not thrilled. I tried to cheer him up." The former prime minister offered the ex-prince some advice while he was there. "Look, I said, he needed to be a bit humble," Johnson noted. "He had to understand how people felt about things, ever since that disastrous interview on Newsnight. He needed to build back his reputation."

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor standing along a wall at St George's Chapel — "Look, I said, he needed to be a bit humble," Johnson noted.

Despite the slew of allegations that Andrew has faced following the release of the Epstein files, Johnson claimed to have some sympathy for the ex-royal. "But in a way I felt a bit sorry for him," he wrote for the outlet. "He was the second son in a system that insisted on male primogeniture. The result was that he didn't have a role."

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor standing next to Queen Elizabeth, wearing a scarf tied around her head — "I was...deputed to tell him that he could not attend some big public ceremony, for fear of embarrassing his mother."

Johnson also suggested that Andrew's failures had positively impacted the Royal Family. "Did you see the relief, the exuberance, with which the crowds greeted the Prince and Princess of Wales this week?" he wrote. "Is it possible that Andrew's ghastly pratfalls have actually intensified their enthusiasm? Like taking off a pair of ill-fitting ski boots, or suddenly basking in the sunshine after a sodden and miserable British winter, the pleasure is all in the contrast."

Whether or not there's any truth to Johnson's opinion remains to be seen. For now, at least, the former Prince Andrew is likely waiting to find out whether he will face any further repercussions for his association with Epstein.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.