Prince Andrew is not the Queen's favourite child, with the honour going to Prince Edward, a biographer has claimed in a new book.
The Queen and Prince Philp had four children together, Prince Charles, 73, Princess Anne, 71, Prince Andrew, 62, and Prince Edward, 58.
And although it has long been speculated that the Queen has the softest spot for Andrew, royal biographer Matthew Dennison claims that it is Edward who has always been the family favourite.
In his lengthy biography of the monarch, Mr Dennison wrote: "Prince Edward, seemingly a bit wet and a tad irritating to the rest of us, was always his parents’ favourite. That became apparent in 1987 when Edward, aged 22, opted out of the Royal Marines when he was just a third of the way through his 12-month basic training course.
"To the surprise of some, Prince Philip (Captain-General of the Royal Marines) did not come down on his son like a ton of bricks. He accepted that the Marines ‘wasn’t right for Edward’ – and to this day Edward is grateful for that.”
Royal expert Ingrid Seward also claimed the Duke of Edinburgh was very understanding about Edward's decision to quit the Marines. Writing in the Daily Mail, she said: "Given his action-man image and his well-earned reputation for irascibility, many people assumed he was outraged.
"Stories soon spread that harsh words had been exchanged between father and son; even that Edward had been reduced to tears by his father's anger."
But she added: "The truth was quite the opposite: of all the Royal Family, Philip was in fact the most sympathetic. He understood his son's decision, which he considered a brave one, and supported him fully."
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While the Queen never actually publicly favoured Andrew, historians and royal commentators have believed this has been the case for a long time.
Camilla Tominey, writing in The Telegraph, said: "Andrew was straightforward and the more glass-half-full of the pair. Although he could be a bit of a handful, the Queen enjoyed the company of the easy-going son who could make her laugh and raise the family’s spirits."
Princess Diana 's former butler, Paul Burrell, also claimed the Queen cared most fondly for Andrew, saying in a TV documentary: “Andrew has always been the Queen’s favourite son and he has never done anything wrong in her eyes.”
