Queen Elizabeth Wanted Ex-Prince Andrew to Be More Discreet

Queen Elizabeth wears a pale blue coat and matching hat as she watches horse races at Epsom with son ex-Prince Andrew — (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, royal commentators have been questioning whether the late Queen Elizabeth II knew the extent of her son's alleged involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In fact, one crisis expert alleged that The Queen "looked the other way" when it came to Andrew's activities. But according to one royal historian, the former monarch likely didn't have as much influence as was once thought.

In his new book, Queen Elizabeth II: A Concise Biography of an Exceptional Sovereign, respected royal historian David Cannadine wrote, "There was nothing The Queen could do…to persuade Prince Andrew to be more discreet."

As for why Elizabeth had little control over the ex-Duke of York, Cannadine explained, "The Queen indulged her two younger sons [ex-Prince Andrew and Prince Edward] too much." She did this after her eldest son, King Charles, had a miserable experience attending Gordonstoun boarding school, and following his "complaints that his parents had been too distant," per Cannadine.

Queen Elizabeth wearing a green coat on the arm of ex-Prince Andrew at a service of Thanksgiving in 2022 — "The Queen indulged her two younger sons too much."

David Cannadine

'Queen Elizabeth II'

Unfortunately, Queen Elizabeth's decision to allegedly "indulge" Andrew backfired. "The result was that [ex-]Prince Andrew acquired an excessive sense of entitlement and an exaggerated opinion of his own abilities, which would lead to serious misjudgments that would eventually compel him to withdraw from public life," royal historian Cannadine explained.

Queen Elizabeth in a blue coat and hat leaning forward and talking to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at the Epsom Derby — "There was nothing The Queen could do…to persuade Prince Andrew to be more discreet."

Alongside Andrew's friendship with Epstein, the former prince allegedly developed somewhat of a reputation early on.

"Andrew fully availed himself of the more relaxed moral climate of the early 1980s, the press nicknamed him 'Randy Andy,' and he had a succession of girlfriends, of whom the most famous was the extraordinarily named Koo Stark, who had once appeared naked in a lesbian shower scene in the erotic historical film, Emily (1976)," Cannadine explained.

Basically, it sounds as though the late Queen tried—and failed—to rein in the ex-Duke of York.

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.