Prince Andrew's fall from grace following his role in the Jeffery Epstein controversy has received extensive media coverage, yet persistent rumors that he wants to be brought back into the fold of the royal family keep popping up.
Many have also questioned Queen Elizabeth II's continued support for the Duke of York, wondering why she appears unfazed by the troubles her son has faced while still standing by her side.
Source Claims Queen Elizabeth Continues To Support Prince Andrew
It is well known that Prince Andrew is Her Majesty's favorite son, and he continues to hold that distinction in spite of recent events. When The Mirror's royal podcast, 'Pod Save the Queen,' talked to renowned biographer Andrew Morton about his 25th book, 'The Queen,' the cause of their closeness was revealed.
The host of the show, Zoe Forsey, spoke with the author and inquired about Her Majesty's steadfast support for her second son, Prince Andrew, and the reason why he believes that Prince Andrew will never lose his mother's trust. Back in March, Prince Andrew's decision to accompany his mother to the Service of Thanksgiving honoring the late Duke of Edinburgh's life and legacy stunned everyone.
Although Queen Elizabeth received criticism for giving her second son such a significant role in the celebration, she has subsequently denied him the opportunity to participate in the Order of the Garter procession and stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Color, Mirror reported.
The emotional memorial service for Prince Philip had only been a couple of weeks after Prince Andrew and his accuser Virginia Giuffre settled their New York-based civil sex case outside of court. Giuffre is thought to have accepted payment from Prince Andrew, who refuted the accusations.
In his remarks on the memorial ceremony, Morton noted that the Queen had used this private family gathering-which was not a state event-to express her support for her son. While he may enjoy his mother's favor, it has been reported that Prince Andrew is enraged with Prince Charles and Prince William for obstructing his comeback to public life at the Order of the Garter ceremony earlier this month.
The Duke of York apparently planned to take part in the entire ceremony at Windsor Castle, which was presided over by his mother, the Queen, but he was only allowed to attend portions of it when Princes Charles and Prince William expressed their disapproval.
The disgraced Royal was therefore banned from joining the celebrations at Ascot this weekend and is claimed to be outraged at the interfering of The Queen's heirs. There are worries that the tensions between the trio might provoke a crisis within the Royal Family at their next summer retreat at Balmoral, as per Daily Mail.
In light of the scandal sparked by his associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, the Queen made the decision to revoke Prince Andrew's royal titles and the right to use his HRH status.
Prince Andrew Is Upset With Prince Charles, Prince William
Although Buckingham Palace said that the Duke of York's absence from the Order of the Garter service and procession at Windsor Castle was a "family decision," it is widely thought that the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge strongly urged the Queen to allow him to participate.
Prince Andrew was nevertheless permitted to attend the lunch following the ceremonial investiture of new members of the Order of the Garter, which included the Duchess of Cornwall and the former Prime Minister Tony Blair. It was said that Prince Andrew had been pressuring the Queen to deny the disgraced royal his request to resume royal responsibilities, but his older brother Prince Charles and nephew Prince William had urged her to do so.
According to reports, Prince Andrew is upset with Prince Charles and Prince William because he thinks they are interfering with his intentions to return to the royal family. There are several speculations that he is attempting to re-enter public life covertly. On June 15, he had anticipated participating in the formal procession.
He was later banned from attending the public events following a serious family debate that was conducted by Prince Charles and Prince William. Only the most private parts of the day were open to him. According to a source who spoke to The Sun, Prince Andrew "is fuming with Prince Charles and Prince William for halting his plans," but "he is desperate to restart his life and wants his titles back."