How Prince Andrew became the black sheep of the royal family – 8 secrets you didn’t know about Queen Elizabeth’s most controversial son

Jan 16 , 2022

Queen Elizabeth’s second son Prince Andrew, who is facing a US civil case for sexual assault, has given up his honorary military and charitable roles. Photo: AFP

Mired in a sexual assault case related to his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the controversial Duke of York may reportedly be barred from returning to public life as a royal

But before that, he kicked dogs as a kid – according to a biography including details about life at Buckingham Palace – and got caught for speeding on the way to a golf championship

Prince Andrew’s spectacular fall from grace is continuing after the queen confirmed on January 13 that he had returned his military affiliations and royal patronages. It’s the latest development in the sexual assault case he is embroiled in stemming from his friendship with sex offender and underage sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew faces a US civil lawsuit by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who alleges the Duke of York assaulted her three times. The royal has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Prince Andrew leaves following the royal family Christmas church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, in 2012. Photo: AFP

The royal family’s response has been swift, with Andrew now facing the lawsuit as a private citizen, not as “his royal highness”. BBC reports the move has cemented a commitment to bar him from a return to public life as a representative of the royal family. According to the BBC, Guiffre said a financial settlement from Andrew would not be sufficient, as she wanted to be vindicated publicly.

British royal Prince Andrew with his accuser, Virginia Roberts-Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell, another of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s friends. Photo: Telegraph UK

Since Andrew’s spiral from bachelor prince to sexual assault allegations, his past has been investigated. Here’s what we know about the prince, from his upbringing and allegedly being the queen’s favourite child, to the various controversies that have followed him.

1. He was a naughty child

Prince Andrew and Prince Edward as children with Queen Elizabeth. Photo: @hrhthedukeofyork/Instagram

The Sun reports that a biography on Prince Andrew revealed he was a “naughty” child growing up. In Ingrid Seward’s book, My Husband and I: The Inside Story of 70 Years of the Royal Marriage, she claims when Andrew was five, he used to kick at the dogs and taunt guardsmen.

Prince Andrew as a young child. Photo: @hrhthedukeofyork/Instagram

The biography also details the marriage between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and includes anecdotes on their children Charles, Andrew, Anne and Edward. Seward wrote that grooms and coachmen were indifferent to Prince Andrew and his antics, which only spurred him on, and he took “swipes” at the legs of horses too.

2. Royal ambitions

A New York court on January 12 rejected objections from Prince Andrew’s lawyers to stop a US lawsuit against him over allegations of sexual abuse. Photo: EPA-EFE