An uncomfortable royal exchange has resurfaced, with a lip reader claiming Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor made a cheeky, eyebrow-raising remark to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, during a 2019 Easter service, Wonderwall.com can report.
The monarch, who died in 2022 at 96, was attending church at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on her 93rd birthday when the moment unfolded in front of cameras.
A playful rebuke — or disrespectful banter?
A lip reader claims Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor told his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, that she was being “difficult” as she made her way into Easter church services on her birthday three years before she died. By: MEGA
According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to make a teasing comment to his mother as she passed him at the chapel’s entrance.
“Although it is your birthday, you can be quite difficult, you know,” he told the queen, the Daily Mail reported.
Hickling further noted that the former Duke of York’s daughter Princess Beatrice, who was standing beside her father, seemed amused by the remark, reacting with a quiet giggle.
Prince William, who was nearby, was also seen reacting, appearing to suck his teeth as the interaction played out.
The moment drew further attention due to Beatrice’s behavior as the queen entered the chapel.
Beatrice’s apparent snub
Princess Beatrice raised eyebrows when she failed to curtsy to grandmother Queen Elizabeth II on the monarch’s 93rd birthday. By: MEGA
While other female royals including Kate Middleton, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Zara Tindall followed tradition and dropped into curtsies as the queen walked by, Beatrice remained upright.
Her stillness and apparent failure to follow protocol stood in contrast to the more formal greetings around her. Of course, it’s possible she had already seen the monarch earlier in the day and did not need to curtsy a second time.
But the exchanges didn’t end there.
After Princess Anne addressed her brother, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to double down, allegedly saying, “She mustn’t be so difficult, Anne.”
Hickling suggested the tone of the interaction pointed to a familiar dynamic between the siblings, rather than outright disrespect.
The lip reader explained that Anne’s reaction, including a glance toward her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, hinted that this kind of teasing may have been typical within the family.
Royal fallout
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been effectively exiled to a privately owned farmhouse on King Charles III’s Sandringham estate after being evicted from his Crown Estate mansion amid a growing scandal. By: MEGA
The resurfaced clip comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor’s position within the royal family following renewed interest in his ties to predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Widely viewed as the late queen’s favorite son, the former Prince Andrew enjoyed her steadfast support for decades, even as controversy mounted around him.
The monarch publicly supported her son even as he faced allegations from Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who claimed the former royal abused her in 2001. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
The disgraced former royal settled a civil lawsuit from Giuffre in 2022 for a reported $16 million without admitting liability. Reports suggest the queen paid all or at least much of that money on her son’s behalf.
In recent months, King Charles III has taken steps to distance the institution from his brother, stripping him of his royal titles and pledging The Firm’s support to authorities following Mountbatten-Windsor’s February arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.