Princess Diana Collaborator Has A Theory About Why The Queen Is Keeping Prince Andrew By Her Side

Although he's no longer a working royal, Prince Andrew remains in the spotlight. While the Duke of York's COVID-positive diagnosis kept him from participating in the Platinum Jubilee, Andrew made a push to attend Garter Day. However, a royal source told the Evening Standard that Prince William said he wouldn't attend if Andrew participated. Barred from the public portion, Andrew attended the private aspects of the event.

In the midst of Andrew's attempts to reinstate his royal status, new complications have emerged involving his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. In February, Andrew paid a substantial out-of-court settlement in a sexual abuse civil case. Now one of Epstein's alleged victims has requested a statement from Andrew to use in another court case, per Express.

These legal woes are causing difficulties with the city of York. As England's singular "Human Rights City," York's government wants to remove Andrew's Duke of York title, per the Daily Mail. The dukedom was a wedding present from Queen Elizabeth and is one of Andrew's three remaining titles, per Telegraph. Royal sources told the The Mirror the queen "certainly will not take any further action" and strip her third child of more titles. 

According to YouGov, only 6% of British people have a favorable opinion of Andrew. Besides Sarah Ferguson's recent show of support, it seems like the queen is one of the duke's few advocates. As for her motivations, a longtime royal author recently shared his theories. 

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"Prince Andrew has always been absolutely loyal to his mother. He will never hear a word said against her," royal author Andrew Morton told "Pod Save the Queen" (via The Mirror). As the author of 25 books, including the pivotal "Diana: Her True Story" (via Daily Beast), Morton believes this devotion is at the heart of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew's close mother-son relationship.

According to Morton, the queen also respects Prince Andrew's loyalty to his country during the Falklands War. During the conflict, Andrew was a helicopter pilot with the dangerous job of protecting the aircraft carrier HMS Invisible. "She very much appreciated that because that conflict cost a lot in blood and treasure for Great Britain," said Morton. "The Argentines had it in their sights that Andrew was their main target so he showed a lot of courage."

Andrew's military record was also respected by his father. Royal author Robert Jobson told People that the late Prince Philip "was very proud of [Andrew's] service in the Royal Navy."

In her own show of loyalty, in March the queen permitted Andrew to escort her to her seat at Prince Philip's memorial service. Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent, told The New York Times, "It was an opportunity for her to actively endorse her son."

Morton saw this gesture as the queen's way of emphasizing family ties. "She is a mum—and in her eyes, her children can do no wrong."

Motherly love plays a big role in the interactions between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew. Katie Nicholl and Erin Vanderhoof, hosts of Vanity Fair's "Dynasty" podcast, note that the queen has tolerated misbehavior since the Duke of York was a young boy. "As a child, Andrew was said to be boisterous and mischievous. He once sprinkled itching powder into the Queen's bed," said Vanderhoof. "Another time, he climbed onto the roof of Buckingham Palace to fiddle with the TV antenna so that the Queen wouldn't be able to watch one of her horse races." Each time Andrew's antics were tolerated.

As an adult, the prince has maintained a close relationship with his mother. "The queen is putty in his hands," a friend of the Duke of York told the Daily Beast. "He is the favorite son and he goes to visit her for a cup of tea and says, 'But mummy...' and he wins her round." According to the Evening Standard, the duke's residence is a short 3 miles from Windsor Castle, an ideal proximity for regular visits.

For his part, Andrew is aware that the queen is his best ally at rebooting his royal career. "Andrew is desperate to get back into public life while the Queen is still there, as she's she only person who might tolerate that," royal author Norman Baker told the Evening Standard.