The late Queen Elizabeth II was "very keen" for Prince Andrew to take on a prominent role as a UK trade envoy in 2001, a decision that has been described as a grave mistake. The appointment was intended to give the Duke of York structure and purpose as he moved down the line of succession, but it ultimately failed to prevent his later downfall.
According to a minister, there is no evidence of formal security vetting when Andrew was appointed to the role. The Queen's desire to support her second son was evident from his early life; unlike his older siblings, he received more of her attention as an infant, with the monarch cutting back on evening engagements to spend time with him. Royal biographer Robert Hardman said Andrew was "not as bright as the others, he could be boorish and everyone knew that", and his mother saw him as vulnerable.
The Queen's support continued in public after Andrew's disastrous Newsnight interview in November 2019, when he failed to quell concerns about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Two days later, she went riding with Andrew at Windsor Castle, knowing the photographs would be interpreted as tacit support. She also reportedly contributed to his settlement with Virginia Giuffre in 2022, and was seen leaning on his arm as he escorted her into Prince Philip's memorial service.
Despite this, it was ultimately left to King Charles to strip Andrew of his peerage, his prince's title and his HRH style. The former royal had already stepped down as a working member of the family and lost his military affiliations and patronages, but continued to attend family events at Sandringham and Balmoral.
The episode illustrates the challenges of the "spare" role within the monarchy, a position the Queen understood through the experiences of her sister Princess Margaret. She may have believed the trade envoy role would keep Andrew out of trouble, but as events unfolded, it became clear how wrong she was.
