Prince Andrew led quite a charmed and spoilt life that his fall from grace has been a long time coming. According to royal author Nigel Cawthorne, who wrote the book Prince Andrew: Epstein and the Palace, the Duke of York's downfall was delayed because he always had Queen Elizabeth's protection.
In a piece on The Telegraph, Cawthorne wrote that Queen Elizabeth always backed her second son and remains quite proud of Prince Andrew despite his many mistakes. The monarch has always adored the Duke of York and often looks forward to their little rituals together.
Prince Andrew usually sees his mother every Sunday after church to share drinks before the Queen has her lunch. She also apparently loves spending time with Prince Andrew if he's in Buckingham Palace.
Cawthorne said that Queen Elizabeth would pass a note to his son if she learns that he's in her official residence. The Duke of York would often indulge his mother with a bow, a kiss on the hands and the cheeks, which she simply adores.
Prince Andrew's charming ways towards the Queen, however, is the opposite of is effect on those around him. Apparently, the Duke of York is not popular with the military crowd because he never lets them forget he is the son of Queen Elizabeth.
It's the opposite of the fondness that cadets have for Prince Charles. Apparently, the Queen's first-born son is "remembered with tremendous affection" at the Royal Naval College.
This revelation comes as Prince Andrew has been besieged with legal troubles these past few months. He and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, have to put their Swiss chalet back in the market because they couldn't pay for the property, which they bought together six years ago.
Prince Andrew has also been ordered to pay back thousands of money to a charity after previously making unauthorized payments to one of his staff, according to Daily Mail. Then there's the matter with his friend Jeffrey Epstein, whose sexual trafficking case has been the subject of an FBI investigation in the U.S. The U.S. has formally sought help from the U.K. Home Office to speak to the royal, who might be able to shed light on his longtime friend's case.
Epstein committed suicide while in prison thus his case has been pending and his victims have been seeking justice. Prince Andrew has been embroiled in his scandal after one of the victims said she was forced to have sexual relations with the royal when she was still a minor.
