Former UK Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing fresh scrutiny after retired civil servants alleged he charged taxpayers for massage services and racked up excessive travel costs during his time as Britain’s trade envoy, according to reports by the BBC.
Citing whistleblowers, the BBC reported that one former civil servant from the early 2000s said he had objected to a claim covering “massage services” following one of Andrew’s visits to the Middle East.
“I thought it was wrong… I’d said we mustn’t pay it, but we ended up paying it anyway,” the official told the broadcaster, adding he was ultimately overruled by senior colleagues.
Andrew served as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment from 2001 to 2011. While the role was unpaid, his overseas travel and support staff were funded by taxpayers.
The latest claims add to the infamy of Andrew, who is under investigation in connection with his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein. Andrew was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office in a separate investigation. He was released under investigation after being held for more than 10 hours.
Andrew is accused of sending confidential government documents to Epstein while working as a trade envoy.
CLAIMS OF WEAK OVERSIGHT
According to the BBC, another retired senior Whitehall official who oversaw finances in the area said he had “absolutely no doubt” about the authenticity of similar expense claims linked to Andrew’s trips. The official described being shocked by what he saw as lavish spending, including frequent flights, large hotel bookings and costs for the former prince’s entourage.
“I couldn’t believe it… it was like it wasn’t real money, they weren’t spending any of their own money,” a source quoted by the BBC mentioned. The broadcaster clarified that it has not seen documentary proof of the specific massage claim from more than two decades ago, but it verified that the sources worked closely in the relevant departments at the time.
The officials blamed a culture of deference within Whitehall that meant Andrew’s expenses often received little scrutiny and were effectively given a “rubber stamp.” Costs were said to have been spread across different budgets, making them difficult to track.
Another former UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) official claimed Andrew’s visits could sometimes undermine trade efforts. “Andrew was seen as a liability. He went off-script, he thought he was an expert, when he wasn’t. He thought he was funny, when he was being rude to people,” the official was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Preparations for his overseas trips could take months yet occasionally produced negative outcomes, the report mentioned.
There have been earlier claims about Andrew’s liking for massages. In a US court statement, former Epstein employee Juan Alessi alleged Andrew received a “daily massage” during visits. Emails linked to Jeffrey Epstein also referenced payments for massages for an “Andrew,” though it is unclear whether this referred to the former prince.
Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and has said he gained no personal financial benefit from his trade role.
GOVT RESPONSE TO CLAIMS
The UK Department for Business and Trade has not challenged the massage expense allegation but pointed to an ongoing police investigation involving Andrew. The department also stressed that his role at the time differed from the more formalised trade envoy system used today.
Recent British media reports have also mentioned that London police officers assigned to Andrew were instructed to provide security for a dinner party at Jeffrey Epstein’s residence in New York in 2010.
The Sunday Times cited emails from the Epstein files that appear to detail arrangements for Mountbatten-Windsor to stay with the late convicted sex offender in December 2010, along with his two protection officers from London’s Metropolitan Police force. In an email sent the night before the event with the subject line “Security for party”, a staff member informed Epstein that the two officers had been given “instructions on the door.”
Meanwhile, MPs on the Business and Trade Committee are due to discuss whether to launch an inquiry into the oversight of trade envoys, the BBC reported. The Liberal Democrats are also preparing to push for a Commons debate, while former Conservative minister Tom Tugendhat has called for a wider investigation into Andrew’s conduct.
