Prince Edward's 'overriding loyalty' is to Duchess Sophie despite him and Andrew having 'closest bond'

The past few months have been weighing heavily on the Royal Family, no matter how much they focus on going about their daily business. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest in February was a particular low point and it will have come as a surprise to no-one that he wasn’t at the Royal Family’s Easter gathering on 5th April.

Andrew’s younger brother Prince Edward did attend and royal expert Jennie Bond believes that these two have "probably the closest bond" of their four siblings. Even so, she thinks Edward’s loyalty to his wife Duchess Sophie totally outweighs this.

"As the two youngest sons of the late Queen - both of them a decade or more younger than their siblings - Edward and Andrew probably have the closest bond," she told The Mirror. "So it has no doubt been hard for Edward to witness his brother's disgrace."

Jennie added, "But his first and overriding loyalty is to his wife, who is such a tireless campaigner for women who have been sexually abused, particularly in the war zones of the world. How utterly depressing it must be for Sophie to learn about the long-standing and close friendship between her brother-in-law and a convicted paedophile [Jeffrey Epstein]."

The Duchess of Edinburgh is a passionate advocate for and supporter of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) and regularly travels all over the world to raise awareness.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor vehemently denies all allegations of wrongdoing, though this "notwithstanding" he’s been stripped of his Princely title and his association with Epstein continues to bring scrutiny on the Royal Family.

"I'm sure that Edward and Sophie discuss everything and provide valuable support to one another in this crisis", Jennie reflected.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who is four years younger than Andrew, became the first member of the Royal Family to comment on the release of more Epstein files in January, saying it is "really important to remember the victims". Jennie Bond has "no doubt" he was "absolutely sincere" with his response, especially as he’s seen Sophie’s work for so many years.

The couple are key working members of the Royal Family who play a huge part in keeping the cogs of the regal wheel turning. They’re close with the Prince and Princess of Wales and Edward’s "overriding loyalty" to Sophie is mirrored in her devotion to him.

In a speech ahead of his 60th birthday the Duchess called him her "guide" and "given [her] much help and advice" over the years they’ve been together.

"His knowledge and instincts that have been honed over decades of service are invaluable - so we share speech notes (not this one, sorry darling!), chat through issues our patronages may be tackling, and together I think we make quite a good team," she continued.

It would make sense that they are turning to each other during the ongoing Andrew scandal and standing united with the rest of the Royal Family. Prince Edward and their son James, Earl of Wessex were at the Easter Sunday service this year, whilst Sophie is said to have been under the weather and their daughter Lady Louise was busy studying.