Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor latest: Former duke ‘charged taxpayers for massage while he was trade envoy’
Fresh reports come as Prince William says he is not in a ‘calm state’ amid ongoing fallout from his uncle’s arrest
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly charged taxpayers for massages during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.
The then-prince used public money for massages and excessive travel costs while serving as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment from 2001 to 2011, the BBC reports.
One former civil servant told the broadcaster they had initially refused his request to pay for “massage services” but were overruled by more senior staff.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in his links with Jeffrey Epstein, and has rejected allegations he made any personal gain from his trade envoy role.
The fresh reports come as Prince William said he is not in a “calm state” amid the ongoing fallout from his uncle’s arrest.
The royal family is facing its greatest crisis in decades after the arrest of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor on his 66th birthday on Thursday.
Senior MP and former Tory cabinet minister Tom Tugendhat has called for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to face a treason investigation over allegations he leaked sensitive government information to paedophile financier Epstein.
Police searches at Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home of Royal Lodge entered their fourth day and are to continue on Monday.
Royal sources told The Guardian on Saturday that Charles would not stop parliament from enacting legislation that would prevent the former duke from ever ascending to the throne.
Calls for parliamentary action to remove Andrew from line of succession a ‘distraction’, Badenoch says
Kemi Badenoch has dubbed calls for parliament to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession a “distraction”.
The Conservative leader said that while she “wouldn’t be opposed” to the former prince being officially taken out of the running to the throne, his position as eighth in line means it is “not something that's going to make a difference in terms of how we are governed”.
“What is the prime minister doing? Why did he appoint Mandelson? There are many more serious questions to be asked about that,” she told Good Morning Britain. “This is a distraction.”
Watch: Protesters hang photo of Andrew leaving police station in the Louvre
Photo of Andrew leaving police station hung in Louvre
Former duke 'charged taxpayers for massages while he was trade envoy'
Political reporter Athena Stavrou reports:
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly charged taxpayers for massages during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment from 2001 to 2011.
Though the role is unpaid, the former duke was able to access taxpayer funds for his overseas trips.
Retired civil servants have now told the BBC that the then-prince had used public money for massages and excessive travel costs.
One former civil servant told the broadcaster they had initially refused his request to pay for “massage services”, but was overruled by more senior staff.
"I can't say it would have stopped him, but we should have flagged that something was wrong,” they said.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in his links with Jeffrey Epstein, and has rejected allegations he made any personal gain from his trade envoy role.
When approached for a comment, the Department for Business and Trade pointed to Thames Valley Police’s ongoing investigation into Mr Mountbatten-Windsor.
Some evidence related to Epstein investigations could have been 'destroyed', according to reports
Some evidence related to police’s Jeffrey Epstein investigations could have been “destroyed”, according to reports.
Police are probing whether victims were trafficked on the paedophile financier’s private jet into British commercial airports and RAF bases, the Times reports.
It adds that former prime minister Gordon Brown has asked forces to look at whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor used RAF bases to take flights that could have been linked to Epstein.
But some of the trips date back two decades, according to the newspaper, while the RAF destroys passenger manifests after three months, and other information like air traffic control movement sheets after two years. And the Civil Aviation Authority told the Times that commercial airline manifests for UK carriers are usually destroyed after six or seven years.
Government looking into law to remove Andrew from line of succession
The government is understood to be considering bringing in a law to remove the disgraced royal, currently eighth in line to the throne, from the line of succession after the police investigation concludes.
A group of MPs are also considering launching a parliamentary probe into the role of UK trade envoys following the allegations.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles amid the ongoing scandal over his friendship with Epstein.
In 2022, he paid a reported £12m to settle a civil sexual assault lawsuit brought by Virgina Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein and made to sleep with the royal on three occasions. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement, the Met said it was working with US officials to review whether Epstein may have trafficked victims on his private jet through London Stansted airport.
Watch: King's dignity will shine through on US tour after Andrew arrest, says Geordie Greig
Recap: Search of Andrew's home to continue as Prince William admits he is 'not calm'
Searches of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s home are set to continue amid an ongoing police investigation into alleged government leaks to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince William and Princess Kate appeared at the Baftas together for the first time since the arrest of his uncle. William admitted he was not in a “calm state” as he answered questions from reporters.
The government is reportedly looking into removing Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession as MPs called for his claim to the throne to be cut.
Senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat called on the former prince and Lord Peter Mandelson to face a treason investigation over their links to Epstein.
Activists hung a picture of Mountbatten-Windsor after his arrest in the Louvre in Paris.
From abdication to Diana, Harry and ex-Prince Andrew. A look at major British royal scandals
Holding prestige but not power, Britain’s monarchy is finely tuned to public sentiment.
That's been evident with the disgrace of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the former prince who was arrested and held in custody for nearly 11 hours Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Police are investigating whether Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential trade information with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when the then-Prince Andrew was a U.K. trade envoy. The arrest is unrelated to allegations related to Epstein’s sex trafficking.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein but has not commented on the most recent allegations, which stem from the release of millions of pages of Epstein files by the U.S. Justice Department.
From abdication to Diana, Harry and ex-Prince Andrew. A look at major British royal scandals
Line of succession explained
At this time, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line to the throne.
First in line to succeed his father King Charles is the Prince of Wales, William.
His three children are next, with Prince George second in line, Princess Charlotte third, and Prince Louis fourth.
The Sussexes then slot into succession, with Prince Harry fifth in line and his children with Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet next.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor follows.
Is the royal family above the law? Why Andrew can be arrested – but not the King
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office in what has been an unprecedented week for the royal family.
He is no longer a prince after his titles was removed following scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
But what are the laws around prosecuting a member of the royal family?
We take a look below:
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