By Molly Claire Goddard
9:39am PST, Mar 4, 2026
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According to an anonymous former senior official, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's "lavish spending" during his 10 years as trade envoy was out of control. "I couldn't believe it. It was like it wasn't real money," they told the
BBC via
Daily Express.
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A second insider from the U.K.'s trade and investment department claimed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor requested his "massage services" while in the Middle East be reimbursed. "I thought it was wrong. I'd said we mustn't pay it, but we ended up paying it anyway," the source said. "I can't say it would have stopped him, but we should have flagged that something was wrong."
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Although Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's position with the government was unpaid, the former Duke of York was helped by civil service and public funding for international trips to promote British business interests. However, Andrew reportedly took advantage of the aid, demanding costly flights, lavish hotels and entourage coverage.
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's time as trade envoy is coming back to haunt him. The 66-year-old was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly giving information to Jeffrey Epstein. "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office," Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright confirmed in a statement. "It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offense. We understand the significant public interest in this case and we will provide updates at the appropriate time."
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Emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly used
taxpayer-funded police escorts to visit Jeffrey Epstein in New York City.
