Last June, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her platinum jubilee for her record of 70 years on the throne. She even made an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, along with some members of the royal family.
Due to her health and what the Palace described as “episodic mobility issues,” the Queen broke tradition and transferred her last activities to Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her duties included accepting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation, as well as appointing Prime Minister Liz Truss on September 6. It would be her final appearance.
Two days later, on September 8, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch died peacefully at Balmoral Castle at the age of 96.
Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl told Fox News Digital that in the final months before her death, the Queen received frequent visits from her son, the disgraced Duke of York. The Queen and Prince Andrew “remained incredibly close, and she was very protective of him,” Nicholl said.
In her latest book “The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown,” Nicholl presents the Queen’s legacy as well as what it left behind for the rest of the members of House Windsor.
She explained that she covered the scandal involving Prince Andrew. “I really wanted to get to the bottom of what the Queen really felt about [whom many believed was] her favorite son.”
Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages, following a US civil action over sexual assault allegations. The Queen also removed his use of the title “His Royal Highness” in public settings.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre said that one of Prince Andrew’s friends coerced her to have sex with Andrew when she was 17-years-old. She alleged that her sexual encounters with Andrew occurred several times in various locations.
A judge dismissed the sexual abuse case against Prince Andrew last March, following a deal reached by Giuffre’s attorneys. A letter sent by her lawyer, David Boies, to the judge, in part read, “Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.”
Royal author Nicholl says her understanding was that Queen Elizabeth II did “quiz” Prince Andrew about the abuse allegations. “They had a very honest conversation, and Andrew assured her that he was innocent of those allegations. She believed him. This was her son after all. And she didn’t just believe him. She stood by him,” she said.
The author also pointed out that the Queen’s decision was considered to be very controversial, to allow Andrew “to walk her up to her seat at the service of thanksgiving for the Duke of Edinburgh [earlier this year].”
Nicholl said she was told by an insider close to the monarch that people were wondering if the Queen had gone soft.
Although the prince assured his mother multiple times that he was innocent, many who were close to the Queen believed she should have been “more ruthless.”
Other royal experts claim King Charles III does not have plans of including Prince Andrew in the future of the monarchy.
A mother’s love is different than a brother’s love.