Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor charged taxpayers for massages and excessive travel expenses while serving as the UK's trade envoy, according to former senior civil servants. The claims, reported by the BBC, include costs for massage services, excessive flights, and unreasonable numbers of hotel rooms for his entourage.
One former civil servant, who worked in the trade department in the early 2000s, said he refused a request to cover massage costs but was overruled by senior colleagues. He described a culture of deference towards the former prince within Whitehall that allowed such claims to proceed. 'I thought it was wrong … I'd said we mustn't pay it, but we ended up paying it anyway,' he told the BBC.
A second source, who oversaw finances, said they had 'absolutely no doubt' about the authenticity of the allegations. The costs reportedly disappeared into different budgets, making them hard to trace. 'It was like it wasn't real money, they weren't spending any of their own money,' another source said.
A third source claimed Andrew could be an ineffective trade envoy, whose visits could harm local relations. '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 source said.
The Department for Business and Trade did not deny the claims, referring instead to a statement from Thames Valley police. Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation after being held by police for more than 10 hours. There is no suggestion that the behaviour amounts to unlawful conduct, and his lawyers have declined to comment.
