Ex-Staffer Recalls Andrew’s ‘Rude’ Catchphrase ― and Why He Felt Like ‘Decking’ Him

A former equerry spoke to royal author Andrew Lownie and detailed how Andrew used to bark at the staff using a specific catchphrase.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor continues to grab headlines for all the wrong reasons. Most recently, a former royal aide has come forward and shared what it was truly like to work for the disgraced royal, and his recollections paint a horrific picture.

Colin Burgess, a former equerry of the Queen Mother, spoke to royal author Andrew Lownie and detailed that the former Duke always barked at the staff and treated them as ‘subordinates’ rather than individuals. Things once escalated to the point that Burgess wanted to ‘deck’ Mountbatten-Windsor over his rude comments.

As reported by the Daily Express, Burgess shared that while at Clarence House, the former Duke allegedly pointed at an object and aggressively commanded him to wrap it. “I remember nearly telling him where to go,” he told Lownie, adding, “He looked at me and barked: 'You, wrap that!' and pointed to some object. I just thought, you rude, ignorant sod, and felt like decking him.”

Lownie, in his book Entitled, detailed the sharp distinction Burgess noted in how King Charles and Mountbatten-Windsor treat the Queen Mother’s staff. As per the former equerry, the monarch treated them as "companions," but for the former Duke, the staff "were just employees" to be kept in their place. Burgess recalled seeing Mountbatten-Windsor once every month during his visits to Clarence House and shared that apart from shouting orders at the staff, the former Duke also had a specific 'catchphrase.' Burgess claimed that whenever he demanded a task be finished immediately, he said, “Do it!”

Interestingly, this is not the first time that former staff members have called out Mountbatten-Windsor’s bad behavior. Ken Wharfe, who was a personal bodyguard to Princess Diana and her sons, spoke to Lownie about his experience of traveling with the disgraced royal. While taking a return flight from Balmoral, the bodyguard was allegedly asked to vacate his seat so that the 65-year-old could enjoy the window view. “Unlike the rest of his family, Andrew has always proven to be a very arrogant individual," Wharfe told Lownie, noting, "His manners are just awful, and his behavior and attitude, quite frankly, do not endear him to everybody."

Not just the staff, but even members of the media have echoed these sentiments. Talking to the royal author, journalist Petronella Wyatt also shared her first encounter with the disgraced royal in the 1990s. She compared his mannerisms to those of Princess Margaret and called out his lack of self-awareness. “He reminded me of Princess Margaret, who thought she was more royal than the Queen,” she told the author.