Queen Elizabeth’s REAL favourite child revealed
Queen Elizabeth's long-rumoured favourite child has always been Prince Andrew but an expert has claimed this could not be further from the truth.
Her Majesty has four children with the late Duke of Edinburgh, welcoming their Prince Charles in 1948, Princess Anne in 1950, Prince Andrew in 1960 and finally Prince Edward in 1964.
Author of the new biography The Queen, Matthew Dennison has argued that the monarch and her husband have always adored Edward just a bit more than the rest of their children.
"Prince Edward, seemingly a bit wet and a tad irritating to the rest of us, was always his parents' favourite," Dennison said.
"That became apparent in 1987 when Edward, aged 22, opted out of the Royal Marines when he was just a third of the way through his 12-month basic training course.
"To the surprise of some, Prince Philip (Captain-General of the Royal Marines) did not come down on his son like a ton of bricks.
"He accepted that the Marines 'wasn't right for Edward' – and to this day Edward is grateful for that."
Ingrid Seward, who has also written a number of books on the royal family also agrees that Prince Edward is the monarch's favourite child.
She said the proof lies in Prince Philip's reaction to Edward quitting the Royal Marines.
For the Daily Mail, she said: "Given his action-man image and his well-earned reputation for irascibility, many people assumed he [Prince Philip] was outraged.
"Stories soon spread that harsh words had been exchanged between father and son; even that Edward had been reduced to tears by his father's anger.
"The truth was quite the opposite: of all the Royal Family, Philip was in fact the most sympathetic.
"He understood his son's decision, which he considered a brave one, and supported him fully."
A week after Prince Edward stepped down from the marines, he was pictured walking with his father to church at Sandringham.
It was taken by many as a public show of support.
A few years later, Prince Philip promised his younger son that he would inherit the title of Duke of Edinburgh which Philip had originally received when he married a then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947.
However reports claim Prince Charles has been hesitant to give the title of Duke of Edinburgh to his younger brother.
When Prince Philip passed away in April, his title, Duke of Edinburgh passed to Prince Charles as per tradition.
The title will remain with Charles until he becomes King, as it will merge with the Crown.
Charles can then decide whether he wants to bestow his brother with the honour, another member of his family or leave it in abeyance.
Buckingham Palace said Edward would be "given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course when the present title held now by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown".
His wife Sophie, 56, recently spoke about a conversation between Prince Philip and her husband surrounding the title.
"We sat there slightly stunned," said Sophie told the UK Telegraph in June.
"He literally came straight in and said, 'Right. I'd like it very much if you would consider that'."
Prince Edward – who currently has the title Earl of Wessex – is the only one out of the sons to not have a dukedom.