In July 1986, Prince Andrew received the title of Duke of York. The Queen gave him this great honor when he married his now ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Specifically, he was named Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh. The Dukedom should not be undermined. It is a great honor to receive, after all. However, more than that, it signifies Queen Elizabeth’s great love for her second son. While it is part tradition, it is also part affection.
The title is a huge nod to Andrew from her mom the monarch, in a more personal sense. Why? The title used to belong to Queen Elizabeth’s father King George VI, that is why. For her to give it to Prince Andrew means she fully entrusts in him the dignity of the dukedom. Not to mention, the title used to be the Queen’s grandfather’s too! Imagine the weight of that label.
Queen Elizabeth and her dad had a very good and warm relationship. He died on February 1952, but while alive, he used to call her Lilibeth and she was truly the apple of his eye. King George VI was particularly proud of her daughter’s cunningness and wisdom, and perceived her as very serious beyond her years. This is why Elizabeth was his pride. The Queen’s sister Margaret was more playful, so she was their dad’s joy.
Back to Prince Andrew therefore, for him to receive the dukedom means his mom truly adores him. According to Royal biographer, Lady Colin Campbell, there is no denying the bond between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew. He is considered the love child of the Queen and Prince Philip. He was the reason why his parents were able to fight off a rough patch in their marriage.
Lady Colin explained, “I think the special relationship began right there because the Queen always associated Andrew with the re-booting of her marriage and a happy time in her life.” Given the dukedom’s significance, Prince Andrew should have protected its dignity. However, at present, he is embroiled in a very scandalous event that even the Queen cannot do anything about.
He’s even said to face doomsday very, very soon. He stepped back from public duty on November 2019 after his close friendship with the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was found out. He admitted to the relationship himself in an interview with BBC and now regrets, his friends say. After all, his life was turned upside down.
His intentions for giving the interview was to clear his name and association with Jeffrey Epstein, who at the time, was already being investigated for his crimes. However, the interview dragged him into the whole crime further, more so when it was apparent in the interview that he was not even sympathetic for the victims of Epstein. A source said that Prince Andrew just wished he conveyed sympathy then. Had that been the case, the dukedom would not be so sullied, and the Queen won’t be shamed like this.