When he returned from the U.K.’s war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982, Andrew was third in line to the throne and had the world at his feet. Now ninth in line to the throne, he was stripped in January of his military titles and royal responsibilities, a shocking downfall capping a two-year public scandal that exposed his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew in his Royal Navy uniform in 1981.CAMERA PRESS/ Phil Rudge
“One of the Queen’s great qualities is she never gets carried away with the fact that she’s one of the best-known people in the world,” a royal insider says in the new issue of PEOPLERoyals. “She has this natural modesty and no great wish to be a public figure; she is more interested in doing the job.”
In contrast, the source adds, “[Andrew’s] success as a naval officer reinforced his natural belief in himself, and his judgment lapses at times. He has an arrogance that hasn’t served him well.”
For more on Prince Andrew, you can find the spring issue of PEOPLERoyalson newsstands now or subscribe atpeopleroyals.com/launch.
The mountain of troubling allegations and the Queen’s decision to strip him of his duties has been a painful humiliation for a son long considered the monarch’s favorite.
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Says a palace insider: “At nearly 96 and in her Platinum Jubilee year, does she really need this?”
source: people.com
