Queen Elizabeth would have been 'deeply grieved' by 'disgrace' of 'favourite child' Andrew

The late Queen Elizabeth II would be "deeply grieved" by Prince Andrew's decision to relinquish his Duke of York title, claims one royal expert. Revealed in a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday evening, the 65-year-old has made the decision to no longer be associated with any of his remaining royal titles and honours following the ongoing Epstein scandals.

Andrew shared in the statement: "In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family...

"I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me."

Alluding to the accusations made by the late Virginia Giuffre, he added: "As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."

The late Queen, who passed away at the age of 96 in September 2022, is said to have favoured Andrew, who was often dubbed her "favourite" child.

Speaking to the Express, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said: "She would indeed have been deeply saddened by his disgrace. She devoted her whole life to service, as she promised to do in her famous speech from Cape Town when she was 21.

"It is now obvious that Andrew and Sarah Ferguson used their public positions for their personal advantage. His association with the dukedom of York and subsequent disgrace will make it synonymous with notoriety. If she knew, Queen Elizabeth would be deeply grieved."

Discussing the claims of favouritism surrounding the late Queen, he also added that she likely spent more time with Andrew, which likely led to a stronger bond.

He added: "Queen Elizabeth was young and learning her duties when Prince Charles and Princess Anne were growing up and she could not see as much of them as she would have wished.

"When Prince Andrew was born, considerably later, in 1960, she was able to spend more time with him and thus grew especially fond of him."