'I worked for Queen Elizabeth - Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was never her favourite child'

'I worked for Queen Elizabeth - Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was never her favourite child' Long regarded as Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite of her four children, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may not have held the special place in his mother’s heart that many believed after all A former press secretary for Queen Elizabeth II has poured cold water on the long-running idea that Prince Andrew was his mother’s favourite child. Andrew, the third of the late Queen’s four children with Prince Philip, alongside King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, has often been portrayed as occupying a special place in his mother’s affections. But according to Dickie Arbiter, who also recently shared his thoughts about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return to the UK, that perception is wrong. Speaking on the Royal Exclusive podcast, he claimed Andrew “was never the favourite”, describing him as “arrogant” and “bombastic” and accusing him of repeatedly putting himself first “to the detriment of everybody else”. Dickie went on to suggest that the Queen’s favourite son was actually Prince Edward — a claim that has also been made by royal biographer Matthew Dennison in his book, The Queen. The former press secretary claimed that the late monarch, who he worked for from 1988 to 2000, favoured Edward because of his low-key manner. "He went about life quietly without pushing himself and he's doing a tremendous job today," he shared. Dickie also praised Edward’s marriage to Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, before turning his attention back to Andrew. "Andrew was always up front, he was always the noisy one and he was always the noisy one as an adult until he was put back in his box," Dickie added. Meanwhile, Matthew alleged that Edward was "always his parents' favourite", highlighting the reaction when the prince left Royal Marines training in 1987. Despite Prince Philip’s senior role as Captain-General of the Royal Marines, Matthew said Philip did not heavily criticise his son, instead accepting that the Marines “wasn’t right for Edward”. Another former press secretary, Ailsa Anderson, who worked for the Queen from 2001 to 2013, said she never saw any sign of favouritism during her time in the role. Speaking to BBC News, she said media claims that Andrew was the favourite did not match what she witnessed, adding that she “never saw her display any favouritism” among her children. Meanwhile, Dickie has also shared his thoughts on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the UK, after six years of living in America. Earlier this month, King Charles issued a guidance letter via the Lord Chamberlain stating that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not return to royal duties. Speaking on the Camilla Tominey on Sunday show, Dickie said: "They've made a big deal out of it, and their team are winding them up, telling them they're not private citizens, they're public figures. "That's for the public to decide, not them. What the Lord Chamberlain's letter was aiming to say was that they're no longer members of the royal family, and in not being members of the royal family, they're private citizens. End of."