Andrew Lownie, author of what the Daily Mail called 'the most devastating royal biography ever written', has revealed the barriers he faced in investigating Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson for his book Entitled. The biography, published last year after four years of research, paints a picture of a royal whose long association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was consistent with a life of excess and exploitation.
Lownie approached 3,000 people from throughout Andrew's life, but only a tenth agreed to speak to him. He described being 'indignant' at the lack of cooperation from ambassadors and other public figures, saying: 'I wrote to ambassadors, and they said “not interested”. This was a matter of public interest.' He also faced delays from government departments, with some freedom of information requests expiring before being processed.
The book covers Andrew's association with Epstein, including allegations from Virginia Giuffre, who said she was trafficked to Andrew and raped by him on three occasions when she was a minor under US law. Andrew has denied the allegations. The Metropolitan Police reviewed the case but did not launch a formal criminal investigation. Giuffre brought a civil case in 2021, which Andrew settled out of court the following year without admitting liability. The settlement, estimated at between £7m and £12m, is believed to have been funded by the late Queen Elizabeth II, with King Charles III's involvement denied but described by Lownie as likely given his role in royal affairs.
Lownie also highlighted earlier concerns about Andrew's behaviour, including a complaint from a royal protection officer who said prostitutes were being brought into Buckingham Palace without proper identification. The officer, Paul Page, was later convicted of fraud, but Lownie argues this does not invalidate his claims.
