EXCLUSIVE: Royal Butler Reveals Why Disgraced Duke of York is Floundering Worse Than Ever Three Years After Death of His 'Only Protector' Queen Elizabeth

Prince Andrew is facing an increasingly bleak future without the protection of his late mother Queen Elizabeth, with royal insiders telling RadarOnline.com the Duke of York is now more isolated than ever.

Extracts from The Royal Insider, a new memoir by former royal butler Paul Burrell, sheds fresh light on the deep dependence Andrew, 65, had on his mother – and how her death has left him vulnerable and sidelined.

Burrell, who served the royal household for over a decade and later worked as Princess Diana's butler, describes Andrew as the Queen's "favorite son" and someone who repeatedly leaned on her to shield him from scandal.

Burrell said: "The Queen was always there for her son to save him from himself and from his mistakes.

"When financially strapped, he would always ask her for help. But now she is gone, what next? The future for Prince Andrew looks bleak."

He added: "The Duke of York demands and expects respect for his position and will reprimand anyone who forgets to bow when introduced to him.

"But Prince William sees Andrew as a liability. He, like his father, is unlikely to take on the expense of running Andrew's life.

"When William is king, there will be no space for Andrew."

Andrew stepped back from public life in 2019 after explosive allegations emerged linking him to the late convicted s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Virginia Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 – allegations he has consistently denied.

A civil lawsuit in the US was settled in 2022 with a reported $16 million payment, funded in part by the Queen, though no admission of liability was made.

A royal commentator said: "Andrew tied the monarchy's reputation to one of the darkest scandals in modern times.

"Even after his disastrous Newsnight interview, in which he denied sweating and spoke of Pizza Express in Woking, he showed little awareness of the damage done.

"The Queen kept him afloat, but now he is exposed."

Burrell notes Andrew's living arrangements with his former wife Sarah Ferguson at Royal Lodge in Windsor – despite their divorce nearly three decades ago – continue to puzzle even members of the family.

"Rumors that Andrew and Fergie will remarry are unfounded. It's not on the cards," he wrote.

"It may be considered a strange arrangement, and Prince Philip could never understand it.

"He was heard to say, 'Didn't we already pay her off once? Didn't we have to give her lots of money to go away? And then she comes back again.'"

Stripped of his royal patronages and military titles in 2022, Andrew remains Duke of York but performs no official duties.

One source added: "Without the Queen's protection, Andrew has no shield.

"Charles and William see him as a danger to the monarchy's survival.

"He is frozen out."

Burrell's account paints a picture of a man diminished, dependent on his mother's indulgence and unable to adapt to a new royal landscape.

"The Queen's favorite son is probably feeling the loss of his mother more than most," Burrell said.

"But now she is gone, there is no one left to protect him."