Palace aides were reportedly forced to take swift action to stop Queen Elizabeth II from holding a private meeting with Prince Andrew ahead of the humiliating stripping of his royal and military roles, a new book has claimed.
The Queen's Protective Instinct
According to royal author Robert Jobson, in his 2025 book The Windsor Legacy, the late monarch, known for her lifelong devotion to duty, sought to shield her "favourite son" from the full force of public disgrace. As pressure mounted in early 2022 for Andrew to be removed from his military affiliations and royal patronages, the Queen, then in her nineties, hoped to "soften the blow" by arranging a one-to-one conversation with him before the official announcement.
This maternal move, however, was against the counsel of her courtiers. Jobson writes that officials "intervened", insisting the Queen's private secretary, Sir Edward Young, and the Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Michael Stevens, be present to witness the exchange. The resulting meeting on 13 January 2022 is described as a "painful moment for both mother and son".
A Prince "Blindsided"
Prince Andrew, a Falklands War veteran, is said to have felt "blindsided" by the presence of the senior courtiers, though sources close to the Queen confirmed this was not her intention. The duke's status had crumbled following Virginia Giuffre's civil lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault—allegations he has always vehemently denied—and his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis.
Buckingham Palace subsequently issued a statement confirming the Queen had given her "approval and agreement" for Andrew to lose his military titles and patronages, forcing him to defend the lawsuit as a private citizen. Jobson characterises this as "an emotional downfall for the once prominent, proud prince".
The Unravelling of a Duke
The 2022 humiliation was only the beginning of Andrew's retreat from public life. Following the Queen's death in September 2022 and the accession of King Charles III, a firmer line was taken. In a significant move in October 2025, Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson announced they would relinquish his ducal title.
In a statement, Andrew said the "continued accusations" about his association with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein "distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family". He vowed to no longer use his title or honours, marking the first time a senior royal gave up a dukedom in over a century.
This bombshell announcement came just days before the posthumous publication of Virginia Giuffre's memoir, Nobody's Girl, in which she repeated her allegations. Andrew has consistently denied all claims against him.
