The late Queen was the victim of multiple pranks at the hands of her favourite son Prince Andrew, royal insider reveals

Queen Elizabeth II was the victim of multiple pranks at the hands of her favourite son Prince Andrew. 

The Duke of York’s mischievous behaviour towards his mother was revealed by Robert Lacey in his book Battle Of Brothers.

His practical jokes included putting itching powder inside his mother’s bed and creeping behind a member of the Queen’s Guard and tying their shoelaces together. 

The prince’s most dramatic stunt involved climbing on the roof of the palace to change the direction of the TV aerial so the Queen could not watch her favourite horserace from Sandown Park.

Despite his naughty actions, it is likely that Andrew was able to get away without any repercussions due to his coveted position as the late Queen’s favourite son.

Their close relationship was believed to have been because of the timing of Andrew’s birth during the Queen’s reign.

The Duke of York was born in 1960, eight years after the Queen was crowned, while Charles and Anne had been toddlers when their mother became the monarch.

This meant that, during their formative years, Elizabeth was busy on royal tours and learning to navigate her new role as Queen. 

A young Prince Andrew. The late Queen was the victim of multiple pranks at the hands of the Duke of York  

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew in 1965. Despite his naughty actions, it is likely that Andrew was able to get away without any repercussions due to his coveted position as the late Queen’s favourite son

Queen Elizabeth with her sons Edward (left) and Andrew in 1976. A royal insider said that Elizabeth liked Andrew because he was ‘straightforward’ and could make the Queen ‘laugh and raise the family’s spirits’

But by the time Andrew was born, she had grown into her role much more and was therefore able to take a much active role in his, and younger brother Edward’s, upbringing.

For example, Elizabeth was able to even pick up the two boys from school in her own car and even attend sports days.

A royal insider previously told the Telegraph, that Elizabeth liked Andrew because he was ‘straightforward’ and could make her ‘laugh and raise the family’s spirits’.

On the other hand, she found Prince Charles ’emotionally complicated’.

Meanwhile, Andrew’s military service during the Falklands Wars was a source of great pride for his parents and made the prince the darling of the press.

However, Prince Philip had a much less warm relationship with Andrew. Royal author Ingrid Sewell wrote in her book, My Mother And I, that Philip ‘berated’ Andrew for being ‘pointless’ and he believed the Duke of York ‘failed to reach all his family’s expectations’. 

In stark contrast to his relationship with the Queen, Andrew is known to have a more distant relationship with his older brother, with Charles going as far to claim in 2019: ‘The problem with my brother [Andrew] is that he wants to be me.’

Royal aides have gone as far as to claim that Andrew ‘looked down on Charles’ and ‘thought he would make a much better king than his eldest brother’.

Prince Andrew in 1960. The Queen’s close relationship with Andrew was believed to have been because of the timing of when her middle was born during her reign

The royal brothers in 2015. Andrew is known to have a more distant relationship with his older brother, with Charles going as far to claim in 2019: ‘The problem with my brother [Andrew] is that he wants to be me’

His rude behaviour also extends to members of royal staff, with an aide telling royal expert Tom Quinn in his book, Gilded Youth, that Andrew ‘was always curt to the staff and dismissive of them – he treated them as if we were living in the Middle Ages.’ 

In 2022, Andrew was accused of ‘overbearing’ and ‘verbally abusive behaviour’ towards Palace staff.

Former royal protection officer Paul Page has claimed he personally made three separate complaints to the Palace during the time he worked in the Royal Protection Command from 1998 until 2004. 

Speaking to The Sunday Mirror, Mr Page said that he is aware of ‘at least a dozen’ other reports made by colleagues about the Duke of York.

‘The Palace has a problem because there are instances and evidence of Prince Andrew being overbearing and verbally abusive,’ he told the newspaper.

Mr Page alleged his complaints during his time working for the Palace were ignored because senior courtiers wanted to avoid agitation.

While for many years Andrew was celebrated as the royal family’s ‘scallywag’, Lacey wrote that the Prince’s ‘dubious choice of business contacts’ have ‘came to shadow his reputation’. 

Charles and Andrew playing polo together. Royal aides have gone as far to claim that Andrew ‘looked down on Charles’ and ‘thought he would make a much better king than his eldest brother’

This culminated in Andrew stepping down from his role as a working member of the royal family following his infamous interview with BBC Newsnight about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

More recently, there was further controversy when it was uncovered that he unknowingly struck up a friendly relationship with an alleged Chinese spy. 

It was even reported that Andrew extended an invitation to the man, known as H6, to visit Buckingham Palace. 

The man was later banned from Britain by the Government on national security grounds.  

Since stepping down, Andrew has been involved in an ongoing scuffle with Charles over the Royal Lodge. 

Located in the leafy countryside surrounded by greenery, the Royal Lodge, which Prince Andrew shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, is just three miles from Windsor and 25 miles from London.

Charles reportedly wants his younger brother to move out of the lavish 30million Royal Lodge, which has been in the family for centuries, and into Frogmore Cottage, the former residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

But moving Andrew hasn’t been easy, as a 75-year contract he signed in 2003 means that he can continue living there, as long as he can afford the cost of upkeeping the 30-room mansion. 

Andrew at St George’s Chapel in April 2025. Since he stepped down as a working royal, Andrew has been involved in an ongoing scuffle with Charles over the Royal Lodge

Speaking of Andrew’s potential move to Frogmore in January this year, Royal expert Ingrid Seward said: ‘It’s going to cost him a tenth of what it costs him at Royal Lodge, but that’s not how Andrew thinks. He has serious delusions of grandeur and he thinks he needs to live in a house like that.

‘If King Charles wants him to leave Royal Lodge, well he’s going to have to use persuasion, because legally he can’t move him out as he’s rented it from the Crown Estate.

‘If he can’t keep up the roof and the outside and all the things a big house needs, he could be in contravention of his lease and that’s the only way he could be moved out.’