One Royal Never Liked Family's "Pecking Order," Says Expert

Prince George, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, Princess Kate, Prince William, Princess Charlotte and other members of the royal family on the balcony during Trooping the Colour 2018 — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Some Royal Family members appear to dislike being labeled as the "spare." Others, meanwhile, seem glad to avoid the responsibilities facing the heir apparent. According to one royal expert, one of Queen Elizabeth's children didn't like the so-called "royal pecking order" for an important reason.

In her book, My Mother and I, royal expert Ingrid Seward shared, "For 20 years, [ex-]Prince Andrew enjoyed basking in the glow of being the spare behind his older brother Prince Charles and in front of his sister Princess Anne. Andrew could be charming but he was spoiled, pampered, and...nothing was ever his fault."

Growing up without the pressure King Charles faced, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly developed "an inflated sense of entitlement and a sadly lacking sense of what was right and what was wrong." According to the royal biographer, Andrew's position caused him to feel as though "he knew everything and was allowed to get away with it."

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Crucially, according to Seward, "[Andrew] never referred to himself as the spare because he didn't feel spare. He felt important."

King Charles, Queen Camilla, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Queen Elizabeth and Meghan Markle on the balcony of Buckingham Palace — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly developed "an inflated sense of entitlement."

Ingrid Seward

'My Mother and I'

Seward spoke to the Queen Mother's former equerry, Colin Burgess, who opened up about the ex-Duke of York's character.

"The royal pecking order didn't sit comfortably with him," Burgess explained. "He saw himself as a military officer, as a war veteran who had done a lot for his country, including risking his life in combat, and as an ambassador for his nation rather than an armchair royal who sits on the trappings of power without actually ever doing anything."

Queen Elizabeth sitting on a sofa between King Charles and Prince Philip with Prince Edward, Princess Anne and ex-Prince Andrew standing behind them — "Andrew could be charming but he was spoiled, pampered, and...nothing was ever his fault."

As a result, Andrew reportedly felt entitled to "the luxury of royalty."

Burgess elaborated, "In all honesty he wasn't a particularly nice person. He also was unable to relax and gave the impression of never being off duty without doing anything. He gave the impression he was there for himself and himself only."

And when it came to the "royal pecking order," Andrew allegedly wasn't a fan.

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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.