Prince Andrew Accused of Making ‘Egotistical Move’ at Daughter Eugenie’s Wedding That ‘Worried’ His Son-in-Law

Prince Andrew faced criticism during the 2018 wedding of his daughter, Princess Eugenie, to Jack Brooksbank. Royal experts have accused him of making an "egotistical move," according to RadarOnline. They said Andrew demanded a huge, televised wedding that looked like a top-tier royal event for his daughter.

Sources said Prince Andrew strongly pushed for a high-profile ceremony. He reportedly did not want his daughter to be treated as a minor royal. Royal biographer Hugo Vickers discussed the matter in his book Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History.

A royal source said, "There were definitely people at the time who thought Andrew was determined to make Eugenie's wedding feel every bit as grand and important as the weddings of more senior royals. But critics felt his idea to mount a procession in its honor reflected his own runaway ego and obsession with status rather than what his daughter and husband actually wanted. It was a shockingly egotistical move."

An insider added, "Jack was worried the spectacle risked looking overblown. Andrew has always been extremely conscious of rank, ceremony, and public attention, and some people inside royal circles felt he pushed too hard for the wedding to have the feel of a major state occasion."

Despite Prince Andrew's demands for a massive spectacle, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's carriage ride was much shorter than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s parade route.

The groom, however, was worried that no crowds would show up to watch the long procession. Hugo Vickers wrote, "The groom was alarmed that Prince Andrew insisted on a procession through Windsor, fearing that no one would be there to cheer them. But Windsor loves a procession, and there was a good turnout."

Public processions are an important tradition for royal weddings since they allow the public to share in the celebration and see the newlywed couple up close.

Prince Andrew's push for a grand wedding for Eugenie came at a very bad time. He was already facing public anger because of his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, had also dealt with years of media scandals, as per Tatler.

Because of their parents' mistakes, Princess Eugenie and her sister, Princess Beatrice, got a lot of public sympathy. People felt bad that the sisters had to carry the weight of their parents' bad choices.

A royal insider talked about how people sympathized with them, saying, "People genuinely feel sorry for Eugenie and Beatrice. They have always conducted themselves with grace, but they are constantly overshadowed by their father's terrible choices and their mother's past dramas. The public sympathy for them is very real because they didn't ask for any of this mess."

"Charles is understood to have a softer view toward the York sisters than some other senior royals because he does not want them permanently punished for mistakes and controversies they had no direct involvement in. But the problem for the Palace is that public opinion remains complicated. There is still a lingering association with Andrew and the Epstein fallout, and officials know any attempt to bring Beatrice or Eugenie closer into the royal fold risks criticism from people who think the family has not fully moved on from that chapter," the insider added.