Andrew Would 'Only Talk to the Young Women' as a Trade Envoy, Claim Officials

Former officials claim Andrew would arrive late to receptions and speak primarily to younger women, fueling whispers of his work ethic.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's questionable conduct around women became the talk of the town once his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein came to light. However, even without Epstein in the picture, the former Duke of York was said to have led a dubious life, often indulging in an alleged weakness for the opposite gender. Former Whitehall officials claim he would arrive late to key receptions during his time as the UK's trade envoy, speak primarily to younger women, and leave early, fueling whispers of his poor work ethic.

In an article for The Observer, insiders from the former coalition government claimed that Mountbatten-Windsor was seen as a liability, but terminating his official role would've been politically sensitive. Vince Cable, who was business secretary in 2011, said that the former Prince, who took up the envoy post in 2001, "was thought to be a bit of a freeloader who wasn't very useful, and we'd rather not have any dealings with him. But because he was royalty, the official line was that, of course, he was doing a wonderful job." Meanwhile, another official revealed that ambassadors would allegedly complain about staging big receptions, just for Mountbatten-Windsor to "arrive late and only talk to the young women and then leave early."

Unlike other royals, who often left "everyone feeling delighted," the former Duke of York reportedly possessed a personality that "often left bruises behind." A decision to sever ties with him came in 2011, when a photograph surfaced showing Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Virginia Giuffre, who then made serious accusations against him. Additionally, the DailyMail had also reported that as early as 2002, a British ambassador warned the Government that the former Prince's conduct as a trade envoy was harming the country's interests and the royal family's reputation.

Although these concerns were passed to the head of the diplomatic service at the Foreign Office, Mountbatten-Windsor stepped down from his role nearly a decade later, amid mounting criticism over his ties to Epstein. Reports later suggested he relinquished the position after discussions with David Cameron and the late Queen Elizabeth. By then, multiple ambassadors and consuls had indicated that his presence was proving counterproductive. One senior coalition government figure said officials had warned about his 'dubious friends.' The disclosures are likely to intensify scrutiny over why his conduct was not examined more rigorously at an earlier stage.

The above incident is not the first time that Mountbatten-Windsor has been accused of being inappropriate with women. As reported by the Daily Express, Alexander Lebedev, a businessman and former KGB officer, claimed in an interview on the Russian channel, RTVI, "Once I was out with a charming girl, and Prince Andrew was sitting in the restaurant. The moment I went to the toilet, he immediately started hitting on her, just like that." Weighing in on his alleged controversial actions, he asked, "The question is, why did Prince Andrew not become the subject of investigations?"