Duke of York accused of ‘horrible’ treatment of royal staff including summoning maids from four floors down to open curtains
Prince Andrew is said to be ‘horrible’ to staff and even drops used tissues on the floor before summoning maids to pick them up, according to explosive new allegations in a book and documentary about the scandal-ridden royal.
The Duke of York allegedly treats his employees as “subordinates to be bossed around” and displays extreme narcissistic behaviour, according to royal biographer Andrew Lownie’s new book, The Rise and Fall Of The House of York.
In a shocking account of Andrew’s treatment of those who work for him, Lownie claims the prince regularly mistreats staff by making outrageous demands and showing complete disregard for their dignity.
Andrew was particularly horrible to staff; he doesn’t seem to see them as normal people,” the author revealed in a new Channel 5 documentary, Andrew and Fergie: The Duke and Duchess of Excess, which aired on Saturday.
Lownie continued: “He treats them as basically subordinates to be bossed around. I think he’s very narcissistic and everything is about him.”
The writer detailed specific examples of Andrew’s alleged behaviour towards staff members. He’ll summon his protection officer to pick up his golf balls after he’s teed them down the fairway, he will summon maids from four floors down to open the curtains,” Lownie claimed.
Most shockingly, he added: “He will drop tissues he’s used on the floor and expect people to pick that up.”
The 90-minute documentary scrutinised the lives of Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, exploring their relationship, controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein and luxury lifestyles. The programme noted that “Andrew has not commented on the new claims about his behaviour towards staff.”
These latest allegations add to a growing list of claims about Andrew’s treatment of royal household employees. The prince withdrew from public duties in 2019 following the controversy surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Epstein after his disastrous Newsnight interview.
Whilst he’s no longer a working royal, Andrew has attended family occasions and this year joined the King and other senior royals for their traditional Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Previous claims about Andrew’s demanding behaviour have emerged over the years. It has been alleged that the duke once requested a staff member be relocated because he “disliked a mole on the man’s face”.
Royal author Tom Quinn made this assertion in The Times, stating: “It’s true that some royals can display acts of ill temper. One former servant recalled how Prince Andrew insisted on a member of staff being transferred because he disliked a mole on the man’s face.
Quinn added that another former servant claimed Andrew asked for a man to be “moved to other duties for wearing a nylon tie.
The prince has previously been characterised as “very difficult” to work alongside, with staff reportedly attempting to “avoid” him whenever possible.
Paul Burrell, who formerly served the Royals as a butler, revealed in the documentary The Palace: What the Royal Servants Saw: “People tried to avoid Prince Andrew because he was very difficult. Prince Andrew was always bombastic, shouty, and always swore, and that’s something that you don’t expect from a royal.”
Former royal maid Charlotte Briggs previously told The Sun about Andrew’s “ridiculous” demands, including being summoned to close curtains that were directly behind his desk. She claimed he once reduced her to tears by screaming: “Can’t you f***ing do anything right?”
Briggs also revealed Andrew’s infamous teddy bear arrangement, saying: “As soon as I got the job, I was told about the teddies and it was drilled into me how he wanted them.” The toys, often dressed like sailors, had to be arranged perfectly on his bed according to a laminated sheet showing their exact positions.
She added: “He was a bit lazy and he would call down from his office and say, ‘Can you send the maid to shut the curtains.’ They were literally behind him and massive—from floor to ceiling and as high as a house. But he refused to get up and close them himself.”
Lownie’s book also claims Andrew would “humiliate” staff if they didn’t use the correct titles for the Queen Mother and once removed a diplomat’s place setting and chair whilst they were away from the table “because he knew his position of power.
The biographer wrote that Andrew’s alleged bullying was such an issue that the royal family “held a summit” in 2021 to discuss his behaviour, where they reportedly agreed that “there was no way back for him” to find his place in the monarchy.
In response to Lownie’s explosive new book, friends of Andrew have dismissed the allegations as “inaccurate”. A close associate told the Daily Beast: “It would be totally inaccurate to say they are devastated or heartbroken by the book, or any of this c***.”
The friend added: “There are absolutely no new revelations—it’s just a rehash of things already said brought together in one place. The family used to wonder when this would ever end; now they know it never will. It’s just, the tide comes in and the tide goes out.”
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Image Credit (Shortened):
Prince Andrew, Duke of York (cropped) – by JeffLynne1977, licensed under CC BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
