A Surprising Royal Became Known as a "Boisterous Bruiser" as He Was "Everything King Charles Was Not"

A royal expert described them as "often pushy, demanding, and domineering."

The Royal Family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Members of the Royal Family have been given some unexpected and hilarious nicknames throughout the years. However, one royal in particular allegedly gained the moniker "boisterous bruiser" due to his raucous behavior, which stood in stark contrast to the way King Charles acted. According to one royal expert, this Royal Family member wasn't remotely "shy," either.

In his book War of the Windsors: The Inside Story of Charles, Andrew, and the Rivalry That Has Defined the Royal Family, expert Nigel Cawthorne shared, "Andrew isn't a bit shy" (via the Daily Mail).

Cawthorne explained, "Indeed, he was often pushy, demanding and domineering." A Royal Family friend told the royal biographer, "He's his father [Prince Philip] all over again." As a result, Philip was allegedly proud of Andrew's behavior, as "at least one of his sons was a chip off the old block." However, the late Queen's husband "was also conscious of the dangers."

Prince Andrew wears a suit and stands behind King Charles

"As he was not heir to the throne, Andrew got an easier time [at school]."

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

According to Cawthorne, it was when Prince Andrew attended Heatherdown Prepatory School in Ascot that he became known for his allegedly bad behavior. "As he was not heir to the throne, Andrew got an easier time [at school] and took to it like a duck to water," the royal author explained. "An extrovert, competitive and sometimes aggressive, Andrew did not submit to bullying."

The royal biographer shared, "At Heatherdown he developed into a boisterous bruiser. Sharing a dormitory with 6 others, he complained the TV watching was restricted."

Prince Andrew wearing a suit on Easter Sunday 2025

"At Heatherdown he developed into a boisterous bruiser."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the book Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, royal author Tom Quinn seemingly confirmed Cawthorne's account. "A bit like his aunt Margaret, Andrew always behaved as if he was frustrated about not being the first-born and therefore destined to become king" (via the Daily Mail).

Quinn continued, "This frustration made him a bit of a bully in private, I think...[H]e couldn't resist being imperious and bossy and bad-tempered if anything went wrong or wasn't done exactly to his liking."

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

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.