Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter has dismissed the long-held belief that Prince Andrew was Queen Elizabeth II's favourite child, claiming Prince Edward held that distinction due to his quiet and unassuming nature.
Andrew, the third of the late Queen's four children with Prince Philip, alongside King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, has frequently been depicted as holding a unique position in his mother's heart. However, according to Arbiter, this widespread belief is mistaken.
Arbiter's claims on royal podcast
Speaking on the Royal Exclusive podcast, Arbiter insisted Andrew "was never the favourite", branding him "arrogant" and "bombastic" while alleging he consistently prioritised himself "to the detriment of everybody else".
Arbiter continued by suggesting that the Queen's preferred son was actually Prince Edward - an assertion that has also been put forward by royal biographer Matthew Dennison in his book, The Queen.
Queen's preference for Edward
The former press secretary, who served the late monarch from 1988 to 2000, maintained that she preferred Edward due to his understated approach. "He went about life quietly without pushing himself and he's doing a tremendous job today," he revealed.
Arbiter also commended Edward's marriage to Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, before redirecting his focus to Andrew. "Andrew was always up front, he was always the noisy one and he was always the noisy one as an adult until he was put back in his box," he concluded.
Biographer's perspective and other views
Meanwhile, Dennison claimed that Edward was "always his parents' favourite", pointing to the response when the prince departed Royal Marines training in 1987. Despite Prince Philip's senior position as Captain-General of the Royal Marines, Dennison said Philip didn't severely criticise his son, instead acknowledging that the Marines "wasn't right for Edward".
Another former press secretary, Ailsa Anderson, who served the Queen from 2001 to 2013, said she never witnessed any indication of favouritism during her tenure. Speaking to BBC News, she said media assertions that Andrew was the favourite didn't align with what she observed, adding that she "never saw her display any favouritism" amongst her children.
Arbiter has also offered his views on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's potential return to the UK, following six years of residing in America. Earlier this month, King Charles issued a guidance letter via the Lord Chamberlain stating that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not return to royal duties.
Speaking on the Camilla Tominey on Sunday show, Arbiter said: "They've made a big deal out of it, and their team are winding them up, telling them they're not private citizens, they're public figures."
"That's for the public to decide, not them. What the Lord Chamberlain's letter was aiming to say was that they're no longer members of the royal family, and in not being members of the royal family, they're private citizens. End of."
