Queen Elizabeth 'Was Not Bullied Into' Choosing Prince Andrew As Escort, Royal Biographer Claims

Queen Elizabeth II had her own reasons for choosing her disgraced second son Prince Andrew as her escort to her late husband Prince Philip's memorial service Tuesday, a royal biographer says.

In an unexpected move, the 95-year-old monarch entered Westminster Abbey Tuesday on the arm of Prince Andrew — six weeks after he settled a sexual assault lawsuit with his accuser Virginia Giuffre.

The decision sparked intense backlash, and various speculations have surfaced regarding the reason the Queen chose Prince Andrew to escort her to the service. Rebecca English, a royal editor for Daily Mail, claimed the royal family was left "dismayed" by Prince Andrew demanding to take center stage at his father Philip's memorial service.

However, royal commentator Robert Jobson, author of "Prince Philip's Century," claimed that it was the Queen who insisted on having Prince Andrew escort her before defending the monarch amid the criticism.

"The Queen made her decision for her own reasons. She was not bullied into [it] by Andrew," Jobson tweeted Thursday. "She asked him to accompany her, and if the Queen asks you to do something, it is not a request."

The biographer insisted that he was "not backing" Prince Andrew before reiterating that it was "the Queen's call." International Business Times has not independently verified his claims.

Jobson's tweet received mixed responses online, with some claiming that regardless of who the initiator was, the decision was wrong in the end.

"Her judgment has always been spot on, but this time???" one Twitter user commented.

"Surely that's why the Queen has advisers, to say, 'That's not going to look good, ma'am.' She let her heart rule her head, and it was the wrong decision," another claimed.

But some also came to the Queen's defense, pointing out that it was a family event and the monarch was free to choose who among her four children she wanted to escort her.

"I am disgusted at the attacks on [Her Majesty the Queen]. She is 95 and has not been well, the service was in honor of her husband of more than 70 years, who died last year. Andrew is their son, so who has the right to criticize if she wanted his help to walk to her seat in the Abbey?" one person wrote.

"My take - it's a mother and son remembering a husband and father. As I've said before, even incarcerated felons can request to attend a funeral. It's not a sign of forgiveness or acceptance of his behavior," another commented.

Jobson told People earlier that there was uneasiness among senior members of the royal family about the Queen's decision, "but she insisted."

"It shows she wholeheartedly loves and believes her son," the royal commentator said. "As she did when she made a statement about Camilla being Queen's Consort, many people will now accept the Queen's word and judgment."

Jobson also suggested that Queen Elizabeth may have simply chosen Prince Andrew because he "doesn't have a partner."

"A settlement has been paid, but he's guilty of nothing in the eyes of the law," he added. "She has faith in Andrew. Even if he disappears from public life, he's been able to pay tribute to his father, who after all, was very proud of his service in the Royal Navy, where he fought in the Falkland Islands conflict."

Earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles and patronages as he was being sued for sexual assault by Giuffre. The Duke of York has denied any wrongdoing.

An unnamed royal insider told People at the time that the decision to strip Prince Andrew of his titles and affiliations was "widely discussed" among senior royals, suggesting there had been talks between Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William.

The Queen's appearance on Tuesday marked the first time the monarch has been at a public event outside of a royal residence since October 2021.

Queen Elizabeth has had to cancel several engagements due to contracting COVID-19 in February amid other health concerns. She also recently complained of mobility issues and has been using a walking cane.