Prince Andrew’s hounour of Queen’s favourite child goes to Prince Edward

Prince Andrew is not actually the Queen’s favourite child as speculated for many years but in fact, it’s Prince Edward who holds the honour.

According to royal biographer Matthew Dennison, Queen Elizabeth and the late Prince Philips had the softest spot for their youngest child.

In his biography, Dennison wrote: “Prince Edward, seemingly a bit wet and a tad irritating to the rest of us, was always his parents’ favourite.

“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.”

Royal expert Ingrid Seward wrote in Daily Mail: “Given his action-man image and his well-earned reputation for irascibility, many people assumed he was outraged.

“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,” she added.