Charles Spencer has made a bizarre claim about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in his book, Swan Song. The 62-year-old recalled spending time with the late Queen Elizabeth II's two youngest children alongside Diana, Princess of Wales, during their younger years.
In the book, released last month, Charles recalled a particular visit to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene at the Sandringham estate. He wrote: "I also remember one Sunday years later, when he was a teenager attending Sandringham church... Diana and I both saw Andrew raise his eyebrows with theatrical exaggeration and a smirk after a priest referred to the Virgin's womb. He was clearly greatly amused by a reference to that part of a woman's anatomy in such a solemn setting."
Teenage Years at Sandringham
The incident likely took place sometime between 1973 and 1979, as Charles wrote that Andrew was a teenager at the time, although he did not recall his actual age. Speaking of spending time with the late monarch's younger children, the Earl recalled that they attended teas and a private screening of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with the younger royals.
Earl Spencer's recollection comes after Andrew fell into disrepute over his friendship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and reached an out-of-court settlement in the US with Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein of trafficking her to the UK for sex with Andrew, who strenuously denied the allegation.
Legal Action and Arrest
It has also been stated that the 66-year-old has since launched legal action against Thames Valley Police following his arrest earlier this year. The legal battle comes as part of a bid to quash search warrants which led to his arrest on his 66th birthday back in February.
The former Duke of York had reportedly been granted permission to challenge the force's decision to carry out the searches relating to his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The investigation followed allegations that the royal shared sensitive information with billionaire financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK's trade envoy.
Andrew has repeatedly strongly denied this accusation. Following his arrest on his birthday, the police spent a few days searching his former home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, and collecting evidence.
Warrants and Historical Context
In addition to his former home in Windsor, the warrants, issued by an Old Bailey judge, authorised a raid on his current home at the Sandringham estate. Andrew has since become the first royal to challenge the legality of criminal proceedings since Charles I in 1649.
Prior to the Earl's latest accusation, Andrew was known during his late teens and early twenties as a playboy. His reputation led him to the tabloid moniker of "Randy Andy" for his aggressive pursuit of women and self-indulgent lifestyle, which many contemporaries viewed as lacking boundaries or maturity.
Previous Allegations
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie also previously wrote in his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the Yorks about Andrew's exploits over the years. The claims alleged, according to the Mail, that Andrew was always eager to "annoy, provoke, and humiliate women and girls" at parties and other stately events.
Writer Craig Brown previously noted that he was at the forefront of witnessing Andrew's behaviour and alleged in the book that, at just 17, Andrew became the "laughing stock" of a house party due to his bizarre behaviour towards girls. He previously wrote about the incident in the Mail, saying in 2019: "The only time I ever encountered Prince Andrew was more than 40 years ago, at a large house party in Scotland. I was 19 years old, so he would have been about 17. Over breakfast, three pretty girls who were sharing a bedroom told the rest of us that the Prince had barged into their room in the early hours of the morning, saying: 'There's a ghost in my room, so I'm going to have to sleep here.'"
