Long-standing bond that means Anne won’t turn her back on Andrew: No-nonsense Princess and her boorish brother seem unlikely allies, but his one-time ‘surrogate’ mother is now quietly supporting him
She’s seen as the no-nonsense royal with an impeccable work ethic, while he went from being jovial Randy Andy to a disgraced ex-duke under police investigation.
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Yet while Princess Anne and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may seem a rather unlikely pairing, the princess seemingly holds a soft spot for her younger brother.
In fact, Anne appears to share the same sense of duty to Andrew as she does to her royal workload – with the Princess Royal choosing to stand by the former prince in the wake of the Epstein sca
In their youth, the pair shared a close bond – with Anne said to have taken on a loving ‘surrogate mother’ role for Andrew, according to royal author Ingrid Seward.
Writing in her 1995 book Royal Children, Ms Seward revealed that in his childhood, Andrew ‘quickly established himself as something of a character’, while Anne ‘enjoyed playing mother and helping with the baby’.
The Princess Royal, 75, is understood to still be in contact with Andrew and remains concerned for his welfare, according to The Daily Mail’s Editor-At-Large Richard Kay.
While the former duke of York has been shunned by the Firm following the revelations surrounding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Anne has continued to hold sympathy for Andrew.
On Christmas Day, while the Royal Family enjoyed their usual Sandringham festivities, Anne made a point of telephoning an outcast Andrew at Royal Lodge, where he remained shielded from the public eye.
Meanwhile, the princess was also said to have been ‘vocal’ with both the King and Prince William about their ‘harsh treatment’ of Andrew.