Queen Elizabeth II's Thought Her Son Andrew Didn't 'Behave Improperly,' New Book Claims
The Queen reportedly stood by Andrew no matter what, putting family first in a way that’s hard to ignore.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has become a liability that his brother has clearly refused to distance himself from. But when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was still alive, she continued to think he did nothing wrong. Hugo Vickers, in his new book, Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, wrote, according to Page Six, “While others did not share this impression, certainly in later life, it is almost certainly that polite little boy who was fixed in the queen’s head.”
Multiple reports have claimed that the late Queen is believed to have helped her favorite son with the reported $12 million settlement in his 2022 sex abuse case. The case was brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Mountbatten-Windsor in connection with the convicted pedophile. According to Vickers, until her death in 2022, she clung to the idea that her son had not “behaved improperly.”
Vickers goes on to write that the former Prince’s ongoing issues caused Queen Elizabeth II significant distress in her final years, and she was deeply worried about what lay ahead for him. In fact, one idea she explored during her last year was setting up a foundation that her son could run. This idea came to her mind after that now-infamous November 2019 BBC interview. Mountbatten-Windsor faced tough questions about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, and things quickly got worse.
Even then, he reportedly believed the interview had gone well, but eventually Elizabeth stripped him of his military titles and patronages. Vickers writes, “Within the week he was asked to step down from public life, and from that day onwards the only events he took part in publicly were family funerals, and he sometimes joined the Royal Family for Christmas and Easter services.” However, the Queen seemed to largely brush off the wave of criticism against her son that followed.
The Royal author noted that in the eyes of the public, ex-Prince Andrew could not seem to catch a break after the interview, with criticism following him at every turn. He pointed out that even when he escorted his mother into Westminster Abbey for Prince Philip’s memorial in March 2022, it still sparked backlash. Vickers ultimately suggested it may have been a blessing that the Queen did not live to see how things later unfolded.
Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles, “Prince” and “Duke of York,” by King Charles in October 2025. The monarch also distanced himself from all royal affairs. Things took a turn for the worse when a batch of Epstein files was released, and the former Prince’s name was all over it. Eventually, he was arrested in February 2026 under suspicion of misconduct in public office during his time as a UK trade envoy.
Moreover, Mountbatten-Windsor was also evicted from the Royal Lodge by Charles, and he is currently living at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate. Once the renovations are complete, he will eventually settle at Marsh Farm on the same estate.
