Following additional revelations regarding the former Prince Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, King Charles was forced to act. As well as removing his brother's royal titles, King Charles evicted Andrew Mountbatten Windsor from Royal Lodge in Windsor. Now, a royal expert has suggested that the late Queen Elizabeth II actually protected Andrew—but perhaps she shouldn't have.
During an appearance on The New York Times's podcast, "The Interview," former Vanity Fair editor and royal biographer Tina Brown discussed the late Queen Elizabeth's relationship with Andrew (via the Daily Beast). "The fact is that she has quite a lot to answer for with Andrew, is the truth," Brown alleged. "Because The Queen enabled Andrew in a really terrible way."
"He was her favorite," Brown said of Elizabeth II's relationship with son Andrew. "She protected him and mommy was his only client, essentially." The biographer continued, "She was the one who protected him so, unfortunately, it made him worse."
Queen Elizabeth and ex-Prince Andrew attend the Service of Thanksgiving for the Duke of Edinburgh on March 29, 2022.
Discussing the late monarch, Brown said, "The Queen was there for 70 years, right? The hagiography around The Queen is intense, you know? I mean, you're not allowed to ever criticize The Queen."
As for why Queen Elizabeth "protected" the former Prince Andrew, royal experts have suggested she simply put her family first. According to an excerpt from Robert Jobson's book The Windsor Legacy, serialized in the Daily Mail, "The late Queen, of course, adored her second son and continued to support him after his disgrace."
"You have to remember, he is my son."
Jobson continued, "In her final days she kept him close, shielding him as palace insiders continued to push for his total exile." As the biographer explained, "She confided her support to a trusted confidant: 'You have to remember, he is my son.'"
