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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Rebecca Russell

Queen is determined to keep Prince Andrew around because he is 'intensely loyal'

Prince Andrew's fall from grace after his involvement in the Jeffery Epstein scandal has been widely publicised - but constant claims that he wants to be rehabilitated back into the royal fold continue to surface.

The Queen's ongoing support for The Duke of York has also prompted many people to question why the monarch is still standing by her son's side, seemingly unphased by the troubles he has encountered.

It is well-known that Andrew is considered to be Her Majesty's favourite child and still retains that title despite recent events.

The reason for their closeness was unpicked when The Mirror's royal podcast, Pod Save the Queen, spoke to the famed biographer, Andrew Morton about his 25th book 'The Queen'.

The show's host Zoe Forsey spoke to the author and asked about Her Majesty's unwavering support for her second son and why he thinks Andrew will never lose his mother's confidence.

It is widely believed that Prince Andrew is The Queen's favourite child (PA)
The Queen admired her son's courage during the Falklands War (David Levenson/Getty Images)

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Prince Andrew shocked everyone back in March when he was chosen to escort his mother into Westminster Abbey to attend the Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the late Duke of Edinburgh's life and legacy.

While Her Majesty came under fire for allowing her second son to play such a pivotal role in the ceremony, she has since refused him the right to stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour and not let him attend the Order of the Garter procession.

The Queen is very close with her second son (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Following reports that Andrew is eager to have his royal title reinstated and return his life to normal, many people are asking why the monarch is continuing to stand by her son.

Royal author Andrew Morton told Pod Save the Queen: "Prince Andrew has always been absolutely loyal to his mother. He will never hear a word said against her, he has always been intensely loyal.

"And she has admired the fact that during the Falklands War in 1982, he was an Exocet decoy which means his job was to protect HMS Invincible (the aircraft carrier) as the Argentines wanted to sink that.

Andrew Morton explained that one of The Queen's main reasons for supporting her son is because of the bravery he showed during the Falklands War (PA Photo)

"He was essentially a sitting duck and there as a sacrifice - but as a helicopter pilot, he played a huge role in making sure missiles exploded harmlessly by following a plan.

"That took a lot of guts to do and she very much appreciated that because that conflict cost a lot in blood and treasure for Great Britain. The Argentines had it in their sights that Andrew was their main target so he showed a lot of courage during that period.

"She liked the fact, as well, that he organised the retrieval of works of art during the famous fire at Windsor Castle in 1992.

"That was him showing initiative but also loyalty to The Queen. She doesn't forget those things and he has been a very loyal son to her.

"The memorial service was a family occasion and not a state occasion so it really was up to her who she had leading her to her seat. So that is a long-winded way of saying she is a mum and in her eyes, her children can do no wrong."

Prince Andrew was chosen to help his mother to his seat during the Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey (Richard Pohle/Pool via REUTERS)

Earlier this year it was announced that The Queen had moved to strip her second son of his military titles - this included his role as the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.

The statement at the time read: "With the Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal Patronages have been returned to The Queen.

However, it would appear that Her Majesty has no plans to remove her son's official Duke of York title as sources previously told The Mirror that she “believes the matter to be settled”.

In April, it was announced that the City of York had decided to remove Prince Andrew's honorary ‘Freedom of the City of York’ position which was granted to him following his return from the Falklands War.

Councillors in York voted overwhelmingly to cut their ties with Andrew and “erase his stain of an association with the city”.

York city representatives went on to announce further calls for Her Majesty to step in and order Andrew to stop using his princely style which was bestowed on him when he was born in 1960.

This is slightly more challenging, however, as The Queen cannot act alone in removing peerage titles. Any attempt to remove Andrew's official title would have to be fronted by Parliament, with a statute passed by both the House of Commons and the Lords.

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