Report reveals Prince Andrew still ‘toxic' despite attempts at comeback
The Duke of York was patron to dozens of charities and non-profits prior to being stripped of his duties and stepping back from public life over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
According to a damning new report, many charities previously associated with the disgraced royal have seen their profits rise after ditching the Duke of York.
Prince Andrew's Charity Patronages: Analysis of the Effects on the Charities, by Caroline Fiennes, founder of Giving Evidence, and Dr Clemens Jarnach, a data scientist and political sociologist, examined the change in revenue of the accounts of the duke's charities before and after he stood down.
The data revealed that half the charities, including Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Fly Navy Heritage Trust, saw a rise in profits following his departure in January 2022.
Overall, charities supported by Andrew saw no 'discernible' drop in revenue after he stepped back from public life.
'We find no evidence that Prince Andrew's patronage of charities helped the charities in terms of revenue: there was no discernible decline in their revenue when his patronage ended,' the report concluded.
The embarrassing new report marks another set back in Andrew's rumoured attempts to launch a public comeback after the death of his accuser, Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre.
Until the Epstein allegations surfaced, Andrew was generally seen as a hard working member of the royal family who was often praised for bailing out his cash-strapped ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
Ferguson's reputation arguably hit an all-time low in 2010 after she was caught out trying to sell access to her ex-husband for a suitcase full of cash.
As a result, Fergie was left off the guest list for her nephew Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton the following year.
In a massive reversal of fortunes, Andrew's ex-wife Fergie has now been largely welcomed back into the inner circle and was recently given a plum seating assignment in the royal box for Wimbledon.
While Ferguson was kept outside the inner circle for decades and was seen as a liability to the Duke of York, she has now been praised for her quiet support of her ex-husband.
Royal author Andrew Lownie believes that the Duke of York is eager to return to his money-making schemes now that the threat of legal action in the United States has largely disappeared.
'Andrew wants money,' Mr Lownie told the Daily Beast last week.
'He wants to enjoy a certain lifestyle, and he can do that with the contacts he has made over the years.'
According to Mr Lownie, who is writing a book on the Yorks' unconventional marriage, the Duke of York's biggest scandals are likely financial rather than sexual.
'Epstein has always been a side show; the real story is financial corruption by a senior member of the royal family,' he said.
'I think there are grounds for Andrew to be investigated by the (U.K.) National Crime Agency.'
According to Mr Lownie, the Duke of York allegedly profited off his royal titles for years by brokering business deals using royal connections then taking a cut of the profits.
'The way it works is that he lends his name, opens his contact book, brings people together, and takes a percentage,' Mr Lownie said.
According to insiders close to the Duke of York, Andrew has installed a device in his house which projected a global flight tracking app on one of the walls to pass the time amid his public exile.
Meanwhile, a second source inside Royal Lodge claimed that Andrew's inner circle is largely sympathetic to the disgraced Prince and believe in his innocence.
'The British upper classes are inherently sympathetic to the royal family, and Andrew has always maintained he was the victim of a stitch up and that he was railroaded into making the deal with Giuffre,' the source told the same outlet.
'He insists he has no recollection of ever meeting her let alone having sex with her.
'Many of the royal family's friends believe him, and many who don't believe he was entirely blameless do however believe that you are innocent until proven guilty.'
The insight comes months after aristocrat and Andrew's former girlfriend Lady Victoria Hervey told SkyNews.com.au that she has always believed Andrew was wrongfully accused by Ms Giuffre.
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Courier-Mail
17 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Bombshell new Prince Andrew, Epstein claims in new biography
Don't miss out on the headlines from Royals. Followed categories will be added to My News. It's nearly impossible to know where to start here. This weekend extracts from a bombshell new book about Prince Andrew, The Duke of York laid out a tranche of claims about the reviled, exiled royal, each of which is more stunning than the last. Mystery figure seen walking stairs near Epstein cell Questions are being asked about a mystery figure seen walking the steps to the floor which contained Jeffrey Epstein's cell the night he died. Video Player is loading. Play Video This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. 00:19 SUBSCRIBER ONLY Mystery figure seen walking stairs near Epstein cell more... more mystery figure seen walking the steps to the floor which contained Jeffrey Epstein's cell the night he died. Questions are being asked about a... ... more Just some of the absolute jaw-droppers we have to choose from: That Jeffrey Epstein sold the duke's 'most intimate secrets' to Israel's Mossad, the Saudi Arabian authorities and Colonel Gaddafi's Libyan intelligence services; that Andrew met Epstein years earlier than he claimed; that they had 'shared women', that Epstein said the duke was 'perverted animal in the bedroom' and 'the only person I have met who is more obsessed with p***y than me'; or that during an official trip to Bangkok 'more than 40 women were brought to his hotel room'. Think Andrew had a grubby reputation before? Figured your estimation of King Charles' brother couldn't go any lower? Well, enter veteran author Andrew Lownie who after having published critically acclaimed biographies of Lord Mountbatten and Edward VIII has turned his attention to Andrew with his new bookEntitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York. Over the weekend the Daily Mail ran the first extracts from Entitled and the allegations it raises are more explosive than a TNT factory with faulty wiring. Of course, outsiders like us cannot know whether or not any of the now highly publicised claims are true. The prince has yet to make a response. Most damaging are Lownie's new claims about Andrew's friendship with Epstein, including the allegation that they first met years earlier than Andrew has claimed. Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell posing for a photo. Picture: AFP MORE: Wild reason Charles can't kick Andrew out In 2019 Andrew told the BBC during his infamous Newsnight interview that he had met Epstein in 1999 but Lownie says that Andrew's former private secretary Alastair Watson confirmed the financier and the duke had been introduced in 'the early 1990s'. According to Lownie, Epstein described the duke saying, 'We are both serial sex addicts. He's the only person I have met who is more obsessed with p***y than me. 'From the reports I've got back from the women we've shared, he's the most perverted animal in the bedroom. He likes to engage in stuff that's even kinky to me – and I'm the king of kink!' Ivan Novikov, Epstein's personal driver in New York told Lownie: 'Whenever Andrew was in town I'd be picking up young girls who were essentially prostitutes. New claims do not paint Andrew in a flattering light. Picture: Kirsty Wigglesworth / POOL / AFP 'One time I drove him and two young girls aged around age 18 to a hotel. Both girls were doing lines of cocaine. Prince Andrew was making out with one of them.' The Duke of York also allegedly was a 'mainstay' at Epstein's Palm Beach house, according to Epstein's long-time housekeeper Debra Gale. According to her, the duke 'kept newly- wrapped women's pantyhose, lingerie and sandals of several sizes in his closet'. 'It was weird seeing all that. It appeared he had all types of fetishes,' Ms Gale has said. 'I once found sex toys on the floor of his room and women's panties in the bed. 'When the girls went I'd give them an envelope that Mr Epstein had left, with anywhere from $USD1,000 to $USD25,000 in it.' Ms Gale told Lownie she would see the 'handsy' royal 'a couple of times a year, if not more' and that 'Epstein made it clear he wanted to make Andrew happy'. He writes that the duke was allegedly 'a regular' on Epstein's private island Little St James. An employee of the 72-acre property reportedly told the US Virgin Islands attorney general they had seen him 'on a balcony groping girls right out in the open'. Entitled also makes claims about Andrew and Donald Trump who both reportedly attended Heidi Klum's annual Halloween Party in 2000. According to Lownie, 'Shortly afterwards and clearly good friends, Trump and Andrew were overheard at an event to discuss Trump's plans for a golfing complex in Scotland, talking entirely about 'p***y', with the American producing a list of masseuses for the prince.' Trump has not yet made a response to these claims. Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, MA in 2004. He was later convicted of having sex with underage women. Picture: Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images In 2001 the Duke of York retired after a two decade-nearly naval career and was appointed as an international British trade envoy that saw him flit around the world on behalf of the UK government. Andrew 'was easy prey for a rattlesnake like Epstein,' Lownie writes. 'Epstein played Andrew. The prince was a useful idiot who gave him respectability, access to political leaders and business opportunities. He found him easy to exploit.' Lownie writes that, according to Steven Hoffenberg, Epstein's one-time 'mentor', 'Epstein would boast that Andrew was his 'Super Bowl trophy' and he planned to sell Andrew's secrets to Israel's intelligence agency Mossad'. Hoffenberg, who died in 2022, told Lownie: 'Andrew had a weakness for the girls and fast life, Epstein provided that fantasy. Andrew would then give intelligence that Epstein would give to Israel. Andrew didn't understand that he was being used.' Lownie also reports on claims made by 'many in Andrew's circle' to journalist Ian Halperin that Epstein had 'sold Andrew's most intimate secrets to notorious foreign intelligence agencies, including Israel's Mossad, to Saudi Arabia and to the Mukhabarat el-Jamahiriya, the national intelligence service of Libya under Colonel Gaddafi''. He also reports on allegations that 'Epstein had Kremlin connections and may have been an 'agent of influence' for Vladimir Putin.' On Sunday, Lownie told The Times that 'The claim about the kompromat, I've got it from other sources.' One friend of the duke's also said: 'Ghislaine is manipulating him and he's too naive to realise it…It's all very premeditated.' Entitled's new Andrew claims also extend to his personal life back in the UK. Prince Andrew, Duke of York reacts as he leaves at the end of the Royal Family's traditional Christmas Day service in 2022. Picture: Daniel LEAL / AFP As of 2001, a royal source said, 'There is the spectre of drugs hanging over almost everyone he's now associating with'. A friend reportedly said: 'He's spiralling out of control.' Andrew allegedly asked a woman to dance at at wedding and she turned him down, he replied, 'I suppose a b*** j** is out of the question, then?' He allegedly said to a masseuse, 'Hey, nice ar**e. Do you take it up the a**e?'' She said of the experience, 'All the way through he was talking about anal sex and making anal sex jokes. He asked when I had last had sex.' According to Entitled, 'Nor were staff out of bounds. There was a long-standing rumour of an affair with a household staff member when he was still married to the Duchess of York. One nanny left because he made unwelcome advances. 'When I started,' an employee told Lownie, 'I was warned to stay away from him. He would sometimes enter the staff quarters.' In 2006, Andrew represented the late Queen at the King of Thailand's diamond jubilee celebrations. During his stay, 'more than 40 women were brought to his hotel room'. Lownie writes: 'Hotel staff were used to foreigners bringing in girls, but amazed that more than 10 a day were going to Andrew's room.' The relationship between the two men is being examined in a new biography. Tom Sykes, a longtime and highly connected royal correspondent, has offered a corroborating account in his new Substack newsletter The Royalist. A veteran diplomatic source told Sykes of Andrew's alleged behaviour: 'What was so extraordinary about the Andrew thing was… the sheer number of girls going in and out of his room that weekend—and the fact that he just blatantly didn't give a shit who knew about it. 'I think now the floodgates are opening. If even one-tenth of the women who've slept with him—or just had weird sexual encounters with him—decide to talk, this could be a tsunami of shit for him.' Sykes writes that 'other Thai contacts confirmed' the Bangkok story and 'Even in Bangkok, what he did shocked people.' Back in London, rumours had, according to Sykes swirled for years about Andrew's so-called 'voracious sexual appetite'. Sykes also recounts a 'chilling' joke that is one of the duke's reported favourites: 'The grand old Duke of York, he had 10,000 men—and by golly, I can tell you it hurt.' A woman who knew him during his teenage years at Gordonstoun school in Scotland described him as 'a very slimy so-and-so, arrogant, pleased with himself, a bully'. The Duke of York is also described by former paramours as being 'perfunctory' and a 'let down' in bed who 'has been dumped by most of the girls linked to him because he is a bore.'' An image provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows financier Jeffrey Epstein. Wendy Berry, the housekeeper at King Charles' Highgrove and whose son worked at Buckingham Palace told Lownie: 'Apparently his bedtime habits as a single man left a lot to be desired. A collection of scrunched-up, soiled tissues usually lay scattered around the bed each morning for staff to collect after they had made his bed.' Meanwhile the Duke of York allegedly tells such 'disgusting' jokes that even a friend of his said they left dinner guests 'aghast'. He reportedly joked about farting to Prince Edward's then girlfriend Romy Adlington in the 1980s, 'Don't you find they always smell worse when you do them in the bath?' Andrew's sense of humour is reportedly painfully juvenile. Lownie recounts how at a dinner party he turned to someone beside him and said, 'This pâté smells. What do you think?' and when she lent 'forward to smell it and he promptly pushed her face into the dish.' There is more, so much more from Entitled, like that the Duke of York allegedly pulls off shonky moves on the golf course, pinched bottoms female during house parties, referred to 'The royal member' and could be 'cruel' towards royal staff. It's understandable why, even two weeks before Entitled is released, it is already on the bestseller list. On Sunday a glum-looking Andrew and his ex-wife and roommate Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York were photographed in grey old Windsor. It's hard to get further away from a Caribbean private island or a luxe Bangkok hotel. Daniela Elser is a writer, editor and commentator with more than 15 years' experience working with a number of Australia's leading media titles. Where to find help If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual abuse or family violence contact: National Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence Counselling Service 24-hour helpline 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 on 24-hour Emergency Accommodation helpline on 1800 800 588 Safe At Home helpline on 1800 633 937 National Violence and Abuse Trauma Counselling and Recovery Service on 1800 FULLSTOP (1800 385 578). They also have a specific line for the LGBTIQA+ community called the Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline on 1800 497 212 They also have a specific line for the LGBTIQA+ community called the Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline on SHE (free and confidential counselling and support) on 6278 9090 Sexual Assault Support Services on 6231 1811 , or after hours 6231 1817 , or after hours Family Violence Crisis and Support Service on 1800 608 122 Bravehearts – Sexual Assault Support for Children on 1800 BRAVE 1 Kids Helpline is for young people aged 5 to 25 on 1800 551 800 Don't go it alone. Please reach out for help by contacting Lifeline on 13 11 14 Men who have anger, relationship or parenting issues, should contact the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or the Don't Become That Man helpline on 1300 243 413 Originally published as Bombshell claims emerge about Prince Andrew in new biography
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
‘It would raise questions': Palace allegedly buried Meghan Markle ‘bullying' report to protect Prince Andrew
An investigation into allegations Meghan Markle 'bullied' courtiers was buried by palace staff to protect Prince Andrew, an insider has claimed. Markle, 44, has faced unsubstantiated claims of alleged unprofessionalism and rapid staff turnover dating back to her brief stint as a working royal. Meghan moved into the grounds of Kensington Palace ahead of her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017 and lived in several royal residences before the Sussexes left for California in 2020. Buckingham Palace launched an investigation in March 2021 following historical allegations that Markle had driven out two personal assistants and that staff had been "humiliated" on several occasions during her time living in Kensington Palace. However, the report on that investigation never saw the light of day - even though allegations about the Duchess of Sussex's staff treatment have continued to dog the former working royal. Ironically, the bullying allegations emerged just days before the Oprah sit-down, in which Meghan herself said she was bullied by the Palace and that her sister-in-law Princess Catherine made her cry. According to royal author Andrew Lownie, the Markle report was never released because of fears it would open a pandora's box about Prince Andrew's behaviour towards staff. 'Some say a report on bullying accusations against Meghan Markle has never been released because it would also raise questions about the behaviour of the Queen's second son,' Mr Lownie wrote in a new biography on the Yorks. According to Mr Lownie, Markle's antics were nothing compared to Prince Andrew's alleged mistreatment of staff, which ranged from terror-inducing to bizarre. One former aide to Andrew was allegedly reduced to tears after being "bawled at" in a phone call before dawn because Andrew was unhappy with a story in the Sun newspaper. A member of staff was allegedly moved to other duties because Andrew 'disliked a mole on the man's face', and another moved 'because the man was wearing a nylon tie'. The new Lownie book shines a harsh spotlight on both Andrew's public and private life as well as that of his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. 'There's a lot that's going to shock people, I've spoken to about 100 people who have never spoken before,' Mr Lownie told earlier this year. The respected royal author characterised the Yorks as 'role-less' and preoccupied with maintaining the 'high life' through wealthy friends and shadowy acquaintances, mostly from the Middle East and Central Asia. 'They're both role-less, except in terms of they like making money and living the high life, I suppose that gives them a purpose,' he said. Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York will be published by HarperCollins on 14 August 2025.
West Australian
4 days ago
- West Australian
Sordid new claims about Epstein, Trump and royal staff verbal abuse exposed in new Prince Andrew biography
Prince Andrew's already tarnished image is about to take another severe battering with the release of a new biography that sensationally details damning new allegations about his unsavoury behaviour. From talking about 'p***y' with Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, to insulting royal staff and asking guests if they are wearing knickers, the book paints a very unflattering picture of the King's younger brother. It also explores the concern of intelligence agencies that Russia has 'kompromat' or blackmail on Andrew over the Epstein scandal. Andrew, who was given the nickname of 'Randy Andy' while at school, has become a royal pariah over his friendship with the late sex offender. He was forced to step down from a roving UK trade ambassador role in 2011, before quitting all royal duties in 2019 and then being stripped of his military links and royal patronages in 2022 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Before her death by suicide, Australian Virginia Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. The Duke, who repeatedly denied the claims, paid her an estimated £7.3million ($15 million) in an out-of-court settlement in February 2022 without accepting any liability. The book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie that is being serialised by the Mail, has already garnered global headlines with its claim that Prince Harry got into a physical fight with Andrew. It claims 'punches were thrown' and the Duke of York was left with a bloody nose. But Lownie also outlines in the book a number of Andrew's other alleged sickening interactions, including one with Donald Trump in 2000, shortly after they were introduced by Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. He writes that the now US president handed Andrew a list of masseuses after the pair spoke about 'p***y'. The book, which the royal family tried to have banned, also recounts alleged remarks from Epstein, calling Andrew a fellow 'serial sex addict'. 'He's the only person I have met who is more obsessed with p***y than me. 'From the reports I've got back from the women we've shared, he [Prince Andrew] is the most perverted animal in the bedroom. He likes to engage in stuff that's even kinky to me — and I'm the king of kink!' In another anecdote, Lownie writes that 'unbelievable cruel' Andrew verbally abused a member of the royal household. During a exchange about a storm at Hillborough Castle in Northern Ireland, Andrew asked head of the household David Anderson if there had been any damage. Anderson replied there had, to 'the tree which was planted by the Queen Mother'. Andrew then mocked the staffer, asking 'Did you mean Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother?'' and enquiring how long he had been working for the royal family. 'And you still don't know the proper way to refer to my grandmother? You f***ing imbecile. Get out.' In the book, Lownie details Andrew's allegedly bizarre behaviour at parties where he loved to play 'choo-choo trains' in which party-goers would make a conga line and make train noises. He was also dubbed a 'nightmare to sit next to' with one friend quoted as saying, 'He makes ghastly jokes about whether you're wearing knickers. And you can't tell him to sod off'. Another woman told Lownie: 'One minute you're having your bum pinched and the next minute he's reminding you he's Your Royal Highness'. Of the altercation between Prince Andrew and Prince Harry, the book says it was triggered by something 'Andrew said behind Harry's back'. Lownie claims that Andrew, behind closed doors, voiced scepticism about Harry's relationship with actress Meghan Markle, allegedly calling her an 'opportunist' and predicting that the marriage wouldn't last. But Harry was quick to shut down those claims over the weekend. In a rare move, his spokesperson issued a statement to say 'I can confirm neither of those things are true'. 'Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make those comments about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry.'
