The absence of Prince Philip, who retired from his duties in 2017, is slowly affecting the royal family. Insiders revealed that had he been still active and around Buckingham Palace, the Duke of Edinburgh would not have let his son, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, interview with BBC to address his controversial ties to the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
According to Daily Express, Prince Philip is likely mortified over the train wreck brought on by the Duke of York. He would have felt that his son undermined him and Queen Elizabeth, and their decades of hard work.
Currently, the general sentiment is that Queen Elizabeth is losing a strong central control over what's going on in Buckingham Palace. Before Prince Andrew's interview, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, also made a controversial choice of airing their issues in the media in October.
Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said that Prince Harry went against the advice of his communication officers when he ranted about receiving negative treatment among the British tabloid press. Prince Andrew, on the other hand, also did not consult with his advisors before agreeing to the BBC interview.
In both instances, however, the palace confirmed that Queen Elizabeth knew Prince Harry was going to file the lawsuits, and Prince Andrew would be sitting down for an interview. Royal experts now say that these would likely not transpire if Prince Philip was there.
Prince Philip is known as the disciplinarian in the family. His opinion on these sensitive matters would have prevented a catastrophe in the palace.
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew announced that he is stepping down from his royal duties. According to BBC, the Duke of York sought permission from the Queen to be inactive for the foreseeable future as companies and organizations tied to his causes have started to reconsider the partnership.
Prince Andrew's recent foul-up is reportedly taking a toll on the Queen. She was seen yesterday riding her horse in Windsor Castle by herself. Sources confirmed that she is very much "under strain" even if she's telling people she is alright. Worse, her husband is not by her side during this whole ordeal, even as they celebrated their 72 years of marriage.
Reports stated that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have only seen each other twice in the last three months. As the Head of State, she has remained in the palace and her other official houses. The Duke of Edinburgh, however, is staying in Wood Farm in Norfolk. However, the royal couple allegedly speaks on the phone every day.
