Why is Andrew allegedly the Queen's "favourite son"?

[Stiffcondomhat]

I have read this a few times over the years and yesterday mentioned in most media outlets.
The Queen seems like a sensible sort with good judgement, and he has this reputation as a sleazy lazy twonk.
Of course I know from mn about the golden child syndrome who is actually pretty useless, but surely the Queen is above such things?
If anyone has any ideas on this I'd love to know because I'm stumped! (I'm also procrastinating because I'm on a deadline)

I was just thinking about it and why everything is Andrews mothers fault.
He clearly has them and I agreed that he appears guilty, is not a pleasant man and is uses his circumstances to gain everything he can.
If we take the Royal out of it then surely the Queen/his mother was the full time working parent and his dad wasn't.
The royal family appear to have nannies etc no matter how many children or how many public engagements.
I've not seen anything so far that said why did dad not teach him rather than mum.

Just possibly a bit sad on a forum called Mumsnet. We should be here to support each other but the immediate blame is on mum not dad.

@sadpapercourtesan

I find Zara one of the most obnoxious of the lot. Dumb as a bag of rocks with a smarmy horsy grin. Ugh.

Zara Tindall, the olympic medalist? With a degree in physiotherapy? Who does lots of great work for the air ambulance and children with spinal injuries and cancer?

Yes, she was born into huge privilege, but she has got to be one of the hardest working royals out there.

I think Zara's great but she's not a hardworking 'royal' surely?
She doesn't carry out royal duties

Apologies- A hardworking person of Royal descent.

I think Andrew and Edward were both born when things were generally happier for the Queen but the media like to make a big deal out of these things. I've no doubt she loves all her children. In a bigger than average family there is often one child to whom parents connect better but it doesn't mean they don't love and support the others just as much.

Every parent says they love their kids. It does not mean they have a close relationship.

Look at the toadies rushing to the defence of Zara Tindall. Why? Because she likes horses, so she must be a good egg? Christ. The Jilly Cooper logic strikes again.

Do you genuinely believe that she won an Olympic medal entirely through her own efforts? Nothing to do with, er, being born into a fabulously rich and privileged family who could afford to buy her the best horses and, you know, not having to work for a living?

She might be perfectly nice. I’ve never met her. However, don’t pretend that she, her brother, Beatrice and Eugenie haven’t benefited from their privileged birth. How did Zara get a £100k a year gig as a non exec director of Cheltenham racecourse, for turning up,at a few meetings each year? Because of her equestrian medal? Oh yeah, that will be why all those other non-royal Olympic medalists and champion jockeys have had the same job offer. Or not.

As for her dim brother, tell me how many other uneducated and not particularly smart young men had a job created for them at RBS to “design a formula 1 sponsorship programme”. This ‘job’ lasted years. As if anybody from a non-privileged background would ever have been given such opportunities. Yet you’re rushing to defend these wealthy, spoiled people.

What always gets me, is we don't know these people. Nobody on MN knows what Zara is like. She might be lovely and kind, or totally mean and untrustworthy. We simply don't know. So why this rush to defend a stranger?

Look at the toadies rushing to the defence of Zara Tindall. Why? Because she likes horses, so she must be a good egg? Christ. The Jilly Cooper logic strikes again.

Actually, the reasons given were the helping kids with spinal injuries and cancer, the degree in physiotherapy, and yes, the Olympic medal. No mention of horses, but sure, ‘Jilly Cooper logic’….?

So why this rush to defend a stranger?

Yes, rushing to slag off a stranger is so much better.

@RussiasGreatestLoveMachine I am not defending slagging someone off either.
The work for charity is good. But I don't see doing a degree in physiotherapy or getting an Olympic medal means you are a nice person.

I don’t think anyone was saying it does.

Rather, that it somewhat goes against the ‘dumb as a bag of rocks’, ‘obnoxious’ and ‘smarmy’ descriptors used upthread…

@AllThePogs

What always gets me, is we don't know these people. Nobody on MN knows what Zara is like. She might be lovely and kind, or totally mean and untrustworthy. We simply don't know. So why this rush to defend a stranger?

I would rush to defend anyone who was accused of being unfaithful just because their offspring don’t all look alike. I’d hate to live a life where that kind of scrutiny was somehow justified. Not to mention how that can impact the children’s mental health growing up in such an environment where some people feel so comfortable to make constant comparisons to people in their mother’s lives, or may have crossed paths with, and make assumptions about who their father really is.

I’d hate to live a life where that kind of scrutiny was somehow justified

Ask the royal family whether they want to abolish the monarchy and hand over all the money they have salted away in trusts, all the jewels, all the houses, the art collection. Tell them that they can earn their living like any of us, no milking of royal connections. In exchange, absolutely no scrutiny. I wonder whether they will all rush to sign on the dotted line?

Yes, rushing to slag off a stranger is so much better. grin

Is questioning privileged people’s abuse of that privilege “slagging off” in your world? The royal family must love people like you. They can do whatever they like, grab the best of everything for themselves, accept opportunities created for them at the expense of the normals. But turn up to a charity fundraiser now and again and starry eyed people like you are queuing up to declare that they are marvellous.

Calm down.

No, as just reiterated, use of words like ‘dumb as a bag of rocks’, ‘obnoxious’ and ‘smarmy’ is slagging off.

On reflection I think the reason that Andrew is allegedly the Queen's favourite son is because newspapers want to fill columns and royal experts need to spout something or other to maintain their position as a royal expert.

I think Andrew is obnoxious. But I think that is a mild word for a man who rapes trafficked teenagers.

Agreed. You didn’t use ‘dumb as a bag of rocks’ or ‘smarmy’ in your posts, and nor did I, but I’d happily apply either description to Prince Andrew.

Stop being unkind about Zara! She grew up and lives in the place I work and is often seen around and about. She is very pleasant and down to earth, and lucky to have made a good match with Mike who is another very grounded person. I'm not envious of what she has and as a very poor equestrian myself I can say with certainty that all the money in the world won't buy you an olympic medal if you don't have the ability. Her main mount - Toytown was not a ready made eventer and was not easy to train or compete with Toytown

Honestly don't understand the deification of this greedy abusive women. She tried to use money from a poverty fund for Buckingham palace. Has hidden her money away in offshore places to avoid tax. This hypocrite also lobbied the government to get exemptions from many laws e.g. around equality and diversity employment, things around the environment, to pay less tax in Scotland for 'her' businesses there.
That's just a few incidences of her horridness.

@Iamthewombat

Yes, rushing to slag off a stranger is so much better. grin

Is questioning privileged people’s abuse of that privilege “slagging off” in your world? The royal family must love people like you. They can do whatever they like, grab the best of everything for themselves, accept opportunities created for them at the expense of the normals. But turn up to a charity fundraiser now and again and starry eyed people like you are queuing up to declare that they are marvellous.

😃👏👏👏👏👏👏

@ExConstance

Stop being unkind about Zara! She grew up and lives in the place I work and is often seen around and about. She is very pleasant and down to earth, and lucky to have made a good match with Mike who is another very grounded person. I'm not envious of what she has and as a very poor equestrian myself I can say with certainty that all the money in the world won't buy you an olympic medal if you don't have the ability. Her main mount - Toytown was not a ready made eventer and was not easy to train or compete with Toytown

Well said. As if anyone could be an Olympic eventer.

Mike Carling? You think we cant remember the scandals he has been involved in including weeks after his marriage to Zara?

Zara is not part of ‘royal life in the official capacity. She is living and working independently, her and Mike are doing their own thing and I have to say they always look very contented.

Mike Carling? You think we cant remember the scandals he has been involved in including weeks after his marriage to Zara?

It’s Mike Tindall unless you are thinking of Will Carling, in which case you are barking up completely the wrong tree there (that’s Diana Princess of Wales).

No I meant Mike Tindall I realised as soon I had posted it. But no edit button. And yes I did mean his scandals