LONDON, UK — Prince Andrew has paid tribute to his mother Queen Elizabeth II, saying he will forever treasure “your love for a son, your compassion, your care, your confidence.”
Addressing the late monarch as “Mummy, Mother, Your Majesty” in a statement, Andrew said “it has been an honor and privilege to serve you.”
Andrew, 62, said “I have found your knowledge and wisdom infinite,” adding: “I will miss your insights, advice and humor.”
Andrew, the third of the queen’s four children, has been relieved of official royal duties and stripped of his honorary military titles over his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with a woman who says she was trafficked by Epstein and filed a U.S. lawsuit accusing the prince of sexual assault when she was 17. Andrew denies the allegations.
More than half a year after the settlement was announced, Andrew's presence as the royal family mourns Elizabeth has placed him back in the spotlight. According to the BBC, a 22-year-old man was charged last week after the prince was heckled during a solemn procession in Edinburgh.
Andrew and the queen's other three children stood vigil at her coffin Friday, followed by a similar vigil Saturday by her eight grandchildren.
TEGNA's Val Lick contributed.