The British Establishment is a fractured beast. It is not a simple case of horizontal and vertical hierarchy.
It’s easier in the US. Hierarchy is determined by the Constitution, money, and Hollywood. In the UK, there is no written playbook. It’s a moving feast — that’s been moving since before Magna Carta, and is still moving.
At first, it was all who had the biggest club. And there were lots of invasions — Celtics, Angles, Saxons, Vikings, Normans. Warlords galore. Who chose the warloridish among them to be king.
The King needed troops, to keep invaders away, and to retain his perch. This took taxes. The warlords (or barons) wanted concessions, in return for taxes. As in, power-sharing. Hence, Magna Carta.
Over the centuries, and after a few peasants’ revolts. The commoners wanted a piece too. Hence, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. But still, nothing written down. It was and is all based on good manners, nod and wink.
The Windors became established as the pre-eminent claimants to the throne. And loyalty became fractured. The Crown is a potent loyalty test in the UK, to this day.
Many in the Establishment do not feel they owe fealty to the government, but rather to the Crown. Military, Intelligence, industry, etc.
Fast forward to the Eighties. Britain is wrecked after a decade of socialism. Margaret Thatcher has to repair the public finances and restore British industry. Enter the arms sales business, the City of London dirty financing, and heavy-duty political corruption (oh, and my book “Maggie’s Hammer”) — https://tinyurl.com/ym4xey75.
The underhand, backdoor arms dealing was driven primarily by factions of British Intelligence and the military (many of whom, remember, owed their primary duty to the Crown).
Andrew, being the second son, needed money and had Establishment connections. I’m guessing the Queen championing his role in British trade (and, therefore, in British arms sales) had little to do with her per se, and more to do with the advice she was getting from her British intelligence and military aides.
By the by, this strange construction of the British Establishment is what I believe also led to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. And no. The Royal Family did not have her killed.
Indeed, if it was not an accident, she was not even the target. The target was Dodi Fayed, son of Mohammed Fayed, who was threatening to reveal the secret British Establishment arms deals. Diana just happened to be in the same car — https://tinyurl.com/mw76rmzh.
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Maggie's Hammer 
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