Queen Elizabeth II had a soft spot for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

According to royal biographer Robert Hardman, Her Majesty wasn’t as hard on the former Duke of York as she was on King Charles III, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.

While appearing on Daily Mail’s “Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things” podcast, the writer claimed Elizabeth saw Andrew as “vulnerable.”

King Charles III, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne, Prince Philip and Prince Edward pose for a family photo in 2007. By: Anwar Hussein/MEGA

“He was not as bright as the others, he could be boorish and everyone knew that,” Hardman explained.

The royals expert noted that her blind spot for the 66-year-old was one of the few mistakes she made during her reign.

“As we approach the 100th birthday of Elizabeth II, that’s obviously there on the relatively short list of things she got wrong,” Hardman said of her protection of Andrew. “I think she got a lot more right.”

Years after Elizabeth’s death, the former Prince of Wales stripped his younger brother of his titles and evicted him form Royal Lodge over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip host a party in 2008. By: Anwar Hussein/MEGA

In 2026, the disgraced royal was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly giving information to the late criminal while he was the U.K.’s trade envoy.

Even before Andrew lost it all, author Hugo Vickers claimed his mother was nervous about the hereafter.

“Andrew’s problems caused the queen considerable distress in the last years of her life. She was deeply concerned about his future,” he wrote in his biography titled Queen Elizabeth II via Daily Mirror.

During an appearance on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, journalist Tina Brown claimed Andrew was Elizabeth’s “favorite” child.

Queen Elizabeth II and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor exit an aircraft in 1980. By: MEGA

“She protected him, and mommy was his only client, essentially. She was the one who protected him, so unfortunately, it made him worse,” Brown added.