The Time Prince Edward And Prince Andrew ‘Disappointed’ The Queen Mother

The royal family is well known for being strict with tradition, not only to respect the past but also to uphold its stellar reputation. However, it’s inevitable for certain issues to reach the media, causing a bit of an uproar within the family when this happens.

Several times in the past, members of the royal family have made news for breaking tradition or causing a scandal. Some of these incidents are well behind the minds of people today, but there are also some that remain unforgotten.

For example, the moment Princess Diana revealed her disturbing marital issues with Prince Charles and Sarah Ferguson’s toe-sucking scandal really stuck in the minds of people. What also remain strongly are some “disappointing” situations that Prince Edward and Prince Andrew left themselves in.

Prince Edward, in accordance with royal tradition, entered the military and joined the Royal Marines. After three months, he decided to quit, much to the dismay of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth I. Despite the consternation he received, he drove to the camp and handed his resignation.

“Princess Anne was driving back to Gloucestershire and nearly put her car in a ditch when she heard on the radio that Edward had resigned,” said royal expert Ingrid Seward in a documentary.

“Some members of the Royal Family felt that he’d let the side down,” said Daily Mail’s Richard Kay. “The Queen Mother was one. [She] felt disappointed in her grandson’s behaviour.”

What came as an even more disappointing scene was Edward’s entry into the TV production industry and his 1987 debacle called “It’s A Royal Knockout.” This made him even more unpopular to the royal family, reportedly getting the Queen Mother “incensed,” not just by the show but also by Edward’s behavior after its poor reception.

To make matters worse, that self-same incident turned the Queen Mother “white with rage,” berating Prince Andrew for taking part in the problematic television show. According to royal author Ross Benson’s book “Charles, The Untold Story,” the Queen Mother made Andrew promise never to do anything like that again as it had “reduced the royals to the ranks of second-rate comedians.”

“The King, George VI, and I spent years building up the reputation of the monarchy and you, in one evening have destroyed the monarchy's reputation,” she reportedly told the Duke of York.