Andrew served in theRoyal Navy from 1979 to 2001. He saw active duty as a helicopter pilot during theFalklands War. He later became a helicopter instructor and commanded a warship. He marriedSarah Ferguson in 1986, and was createdDuke of York ontheir wedding day. They had two daughters,Beatrice andEugenie, before separating in 1992 and divorcing in 1996. From 2001 to 2011, Andrew served as the UK'sSpecial Representative for International Trade and Investment, but resigned following scrutiny of his expenses and associations with controversial figures. He continued to undertake official duties on behalf of Elizabeth II until 2019.
Andrew had a long‑standingassociation with Jeffrey Epstein, the American convicted sex offender, which has attracted widespread criticism. In 2014,Virginia Giuffre alleged that she had beensex trafficked to Andrew by Epstein andGhislaine Maxwell. Andrew denied any wrongdoing, and in 2022 settleda civil lawsuit with Giuffre in the United States without admission of liability. In the same year, Elizabeth II removed his military affiliations and patronages, and he ceased using the style "Royal Highness". In 2025, Charles III removed Andrew's remainingroyal styles andhonours, and restricted his use oftitles andpeerages. He vacatedRoyal Lodge, part of theCrown Estate, and relocated to private accommodation on theSandringham estate.
Early life
During a 45-day tour of Canada in June and July 1959,Queen Elizabeth II discovered that she was pregnant. The pregnancy was not disclosed to the public during the tour. After her return to London,[1]Buckingham Palace announced on 7 August that she would not undertake further public engagements, a customary indication that she was pregnant.[2] Andrew was born aprince at 3:30pm on 19 February 1960 at Buckingham Palace,[3] the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II andPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He waschristened Andrew Albert Christian Edward in the Music Room at the palace on 8 April.[4]
Andrew was the first child born to a reigning British monarch sincePrincess Beatrice, the youngest daughter ofQueen Victoria, in 1857.[5] Like his siblings,Charles,Anne andEdward, he was looked after by agoverness, who oversaw his early education at Buckingham Palace.[6] He later attendedHeatherdown School nearAscot inBerkshire.[7] In September 1973, he enteredGordonstoun inMoray, which his father and elder brother had also attended.[8] He was nicknamed "the Sniggerer" by his schoolmates at Gordonstoun, because of "his penchant for off-colour jokes, at which he laughed inordinately".[9][10] While there, he spent six months – from January to June 1977 – participating in an exchange programme atLakefield College School in Canada.[7][11] He left Gordonstoun in July two years later withA-levels[11] in English, history, and economics.[12]
Andrew's presence on board, and the risk of a royal family member being killed in action, made the British government apprehensive, and theCabinet sought to move him to a desk role for the duration of the conflict. The Queen, however, insisted that her son remain with his ship.[17] Andrew served onInvincible as a Sea King helicopter co-pilot, flying missions that includedanti-submarine andanti-surface warfare,Exocet missile decoy operations, casualty evacuation, transport, and search and air rescue.[18][19][20] He witnessed the Argentine attack onSSAtlantic Conveyor.[21]
At the end of the war,Invincible returned toPortsmouth, where Elizabeth and Philip joined other families of the crew in welcoming the vessel home. According to historianAndrew Lownie, theArgentine military government planned, but ultimately did not attempt, to assassinate Andrew onMustique in July 1982.[22] Although he had brief assignments toHMS Illustrious,RNAS Culdrose, and theSchool of Service Intelligence, Andrew remained withInvincible until 1983. CommanderNigel Ward's memoirSea Harrier Over the Falklands described Andrew as "an excellent pilot and a very promising officer."[23]
In late 1983, Andrew transferred toRNAS Portland and was trained to fly theLynx helicopter.[13] On 1 February 1984, he was promoted to lieutenant,[24] after which Elizabeth appointed him herpersonal aide-de-camp.[25] Andrew served aboardHMS Brazen as a flight pilot until 1986,[13] including deployment to theMediterranean Sea as part ofStanding NRF Maritime Group 2. He undertook the Lieutenants'Greenwich Staff course. On 23 October 1986, he transferred to theGeneral List and enrolled on a four-month helicopter warfare instructor's course atRNAS Yeovilton. Upon graduation, he served from February 1987 to April 1988 as a helicopter warfare officer in702 Naval Air Squadron,RNAS Portland. He later served onHMS Edinburgh asofficer of the watch and Assistant Navigating Officer until 1989, including a six-month deployment to the Far East as part of exerciseOutback 88.[13]
Andrew served as flight commander and pilot of the Lynx HAS3 onHMS Campbeltown from 1989 to 1991. He also acted as force aviation officer toStanding NRF Maritime Group 1 whileCampbeltown was flagship of theNATO force in theNorth Atlantic from 1990 to 1991.[13] He passed the squadron command examination on 16 July 1991, attended theStaff College, Camberley, the following year, and completed the Army Staff course. He was promoted tolieutenant-commander on 1 February and passed the ship command examination on 12 March 1992. From 1993 to 1994, Andrew commanded the Hunt-classminehunterHMS Cottesmore.[13]
From 1995 to 1996, Andrew was posted as senior pilot of815 Naval Air Squadron, then the largest flying unit in theFleet Air Arm. His main responsibility was to supervise flying standards and ensure effective operational capability.[13] He was promoted tocommander on 27 April 1999,[13] and concluded his active naval career at theMinistry of Defence in 2001 as an officer of the Diplomatic Directorate of the Naval Staff.[13] In July that year, Andrew was retired from theActive List of the Navy.[26] He was made an honorarycaptain in 2004,[27] promoted torear admiral on his 50th birthday on 19 February 2010,[28] and tovice admiral in 2015.[29][30]
Personal life
Relationships
Before marriage
In May 1978, theEvening Standard reported that Andrew had acquired the nickname "Randy Andy" (with "randy" being British slang for "sexually eager") while atGordonstoun, owing to his being romantically involved with several women.[31]UPI also used this nickname, stating that before beginning his naval career in 1979 he "seemed to be in training as a professionalplayboy".[32] Andrew met the American photographer and actressKoo Stark in February 1981, before his active service in the Falklands War.[33][34] In October 1982, they holidayed together on the island ofMustique.[35][36]Tina Brown later described Stark as Andrew's only serious love interest.[37] The couple separated in 1983 under pressure from the press and the palace.[33][37] In 1997, Andrew became godfather to Stark's daughter.[38] When Andrew faced accusations in 2015 regarding his association to Jeffery Epstein, Stark publicly defended him.[33]
The couple initially appeared to have a happy marriage and had two daughters,Princess Beatrice (born 1988) andPrincess Eugenie (born 1990), presenting a united public image during the late 1980s. Sarah's personal qualities were regarded as refreshing within the formal protocol of the royal family.[40] Andrew's frequent travel due to his naval career, combined with relentless and often critical media attention on the Duchess of York, contributed to strains in the marriage.[41][42]
On 19 March 1992, the couple announced plans to separate and did so amicably.[43] That August,tabloid newspapers published photographs of businessman John Bryan sucking Sarah's toes, effectively ending any prospect of reconciliation. Throughout the separation, Ferguson had maintained that Bryan was her financial adviser, a claim Andrew accepted.[44] The marriage ended in divorce on 30 May 1996. Andrew spoke warmly of his former wife in 2008, saying, "We have managed to work together to bring our children up in a way that few others have been able to and I am extremely grateful to be able to do that."[45]
Andrew and his daughter Eugenie riding in the carriage procession atTrooping the Colour, 16 June 2012
In May 2010, Ferguson was filmed by aNews of the World reporter stating that Andrew had agreed that, if she were to receive £500,000, he would meet the donor and provide useful top-level business contacts. She was filmed receiving US$40,000 in cash as a down-payment. The newspaper reported that Andrew had no knowledge of the arrangement.[46] In July 2011, Ferguson said that her multi-million-pound debts had been cleared through the intervention of her former husband, whom she described as a "knight on a white charger".[47]
In 2011, Ferguson said that she had made a "gigantic error of judgement" in allowing Epstein to pay off a debt for her, and apologised for accepting money from him. She nevertheless continued to defend Andrew's former friendship with Epstein.[48][49] It later emerged that, following her public statement, she had sent an email to Epstein in which she referred to him as "a steadfast, generous and supreme friend".[50]
Post-divorce
In 1999, Andrew was briefly in a relationship withLady Victoria Hervey, who has since made a number of controversial statements in his support.[51]
Residences
As Andrew and Ferguson shared custody of their two daughters, the family continued to live atSunninghill Park, which had been built for the couple nearWindsor Great Park in 1990, until Andrew moved toRoyal Lodge in 2004. In 2007, Ferguson moved into Dolphin House inEnglefield Green, less than a mile from Royal Lodge.[52] A fire at Dolphin House in 2008[52] led her to move into Royal Lodge, once again sharing a home with Andrew.[53]
Andrew's lease of Royal Lodge was for 75 years, held from theCrown Estate, with a single £1 million premium and a commitment to spend £7.5 million on refurbishment.[54] In March 2023, it was reported that Andrew had been offeredFrogmore Cottage after his nephewPrince Harry was asked to vacate the residence.[55] The offer came amid reports that Andrew could no longer afford the running costs of Royal Lodge as he was due to lose his annual grant.[56]
In October 2025, it was reported that Andrew had paid apeppercorn rent for the Royal Lodge lease in return for upfront payments totalling £8.5 million, and that the legal agreement entitled him and his family to reside at the property until 2078.[57][58] Later that month, Buckingham Palace announced that formal notice had been served to surrender the lease, and Andrew would reportedly move toMarsh Farm on theSandringham estate,[59] a private estate owned personally by the King.[60][61] The Crown Estate subsequently clarified that Andrew "will not be owed any compensation for early surrender of the lease ... once dilapidations are taken into account".[62][63] On 2 February 2026, Andrew left Royal Lodge and moved temporarily toWood Farm on the Sandringham estate while his future accommodation continues to undergo renovation.[64]
Andrew is a keenskier, and in 2014 he bought achalet inVerbier, Switzerland, for £13 million, jointly with his ex-wife.[65] In May 2020, it was reported that they were in a legal dispute over the mortgage.[66] To purchase the property, they had secured a loan of £13.25 million and were expected to pay £5 million in cash instalments which, with interest, totalled £6.8 million.[67] Despite claims that the Queen would assist with the payment, a spokesperson for Andrew confirmed that she "will not be stepping in to settle the debt".[68]
The Times reported in September 2021 that Andrew and Ferguson had reached a legal agreement with the chalet's previous owner and would sell the property.[69] The owner agreed to accept £3.4 million – half of what she was owed – after being informed that Andrew and Ferguson were experiencing financial difficulties.[67] Proceeds from the sale were reportedly intended to contribute to Andrew's legal expenses in relation to thecivil lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre.[70] In June 2022,Le Temps reported that the chalet had been frozen because of a £1.6 million debt Andrew owed to unnamed individuals. Law professor Nicolas Jeandin told the newspaper "A sale is in principle impossible, except with the agreement of the creditor."[71][72]
Andrew is a keen golfer and has held a low single-figurehandicap.[75] He served as captain ofthe Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews between 2003 and 2004 – during the club's 250th anniversary season – was patron of several royal golf clubs, and had been elected an honorary member of many others. In 2004, he was criticised byLabour Co-op MPIan Davidson, who, in a letter to theNAO, questioned Andrew's decision to fly to St Andrews on RAF aircraft for two golfing trips.[76] Andrew resigned his honorary membership of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews after the Queen removed royal patronages at several golf clubs.[77][78] His honorary membership of theRoyal Dornoch Golf Club was revoked the following month.[79]
Andrew waspatron of the Middle East Association (MEA), the UK's premier organisation for promoting trade and good relations with the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Iran.[80] After his role asSpecial Representative for International Trade and Investment ended, he continued to support UK enterprise without holding a formal position.Robert Jobson wrote that Andrew carried out this working effectively, noting that "He is particularly passionate when dealing with young start-up entrepreneurs and bringing them together with successful businesses at networking and showcasing events. Andrew is direct and to the point, and his methods seem to work".[81]
Andrew was patron ofFight for Sight, a charity dedicated to research into the prevention and treatment of blindness and eye disease,[82] and was a member ofthe Scout Association.[83] Andrew toured Canada frequently to undertake duties related to his Canadian military role. Rick Peters, former commanding officer ofthe Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada, stated that Andrew was "very well informed on Canadian military methods".[84] He became patron of the charity Attend[85] in 2003 and served as a member of the International Advisory Board of theRoyal United Services Institute. On 3 September 2012, Andrew was among a team of 40 people who abseiled downThe Shard, then the tallest building in Europe, to raise money for the educational charities theOutward Bound Trust and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund.[86][87] He also supported organisations focused on science and technology, becoming patron ofCatalyst Inc andTeenTech.[88][89][90] In 2014, Andrew visitedGeneva, Switzerland, to promote British science atCERN's 60th anniversary celebrations.[91]
Andrew in his role as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment at theWorld Economic Forum on the Middle East, 2008
In 2013, it was announced that Andrew would become patron ofLondon Metropolitan University[92] and theUniversity of Huddersfield.[93][94] In July 2015, he was installed as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.[95] In recognition of his promotion of entrepreneurship, he was elected to an Honorary Fellowship atHughes Hall, in theUniversity of Cambridge on 1 May 2018.[96] On 19 November 2019, theStudents' Union of the University of Huddersfield passed a motion to lobby Andrew to resign as its chancellor, while London Metropolitan University was also reviewing his role as patron.[97] On 21 November, Andrew relinquished his role as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.[98]
In March 2019, Andrew took over the patronage of the Outward Bound Trust from his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, serving until his own resignation in November 2019.[99] Andrew had been chairman of the organisation's board of trustees since 1999.[100][101] In May 2019, it was announced that Andrew had succeededLord Carrington as patron of the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust.[102] On 13 January 2022, it was announced that his royal patronages had been returned to the Queen to be redistributed among other members of the royal family.[103] In January 2023, it was reported thatKing Charles III had agreed that Andrew could pursue some business interests.[104]
In July 2025, the philanthropy adviser Giving Evidence published research examining the impact of Andrew's charity patronages on the incomes of the organisations he supported prior to his retirement from public duties. The study found that revenues at roughly half of the 35 registered charities in England for which Andrew had been the sole royal patron rose after his patronage ended, while revenues at the other half fell. Researchers then compared the 35 charities with others across the country and found "no material differences in revenue patterns when Andrew's patronages ceased". This and earlier studies supported the conclusion that having a royal patron did not significantly affect charities' incomes.[105]
While touring India as part of theQueen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012,[106] Andrew became interested in the work of Women's Interlink Foundation (WIF), a charity that helps women acquire skills to earn an income. He and his family later initiated Key to Freedom, a project intended to "find a route to market for products made by WIF".[107][108]
In 2014, Andrew founded the Pitch@Palace initiative[109] to support entrepreneurs by amplifying and accelerating their business ideas. Entrepreneurs selected for Pitch@Palace Bootcamp were officially invited by Andrew[110] to attendSt James's Palace to pitch their ideas and connect with potential investors, mentors, and business contacts.[111] In May 2018, he visited China and opened the Pitch@Palace China Bootcamp 2.0 atPeking University.[112] On 18 November 2019, accountancy firmKPMG announced it would not renew its sponsorship of Pitch@Palace,[113] and on 19 NovemberStandard Chartered also withdrew its support.[114] In November 2025, Pitch@Palace Global entered the dissolution process, initiated by its director, following the winding-up of its UK arm in 2021.[115]
Andrew founded the Prince Andrew Charitable Trust which aimed to support young people in different areas such as education and training.[116] In May 2020, it was reported that the trust was under investigation by theCharity Commission regarding regulatory concerns about £350,000 in payments to his former private secretaryAmanda Thirsk.[117] He also established several awards, including the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA), a programme designed to develop digital and enterprise skills,[118][119] the Duke of York Award for Technical Education, presented to talented young people in technical fields,[120][121] and the Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Award, which recognised young entrepreneurial talent.[122]
Andrew was additionally involved with the private limited company the Duke of York's Community Initiative (known as the Yorkshire Foundation between 2005 and 2011) and with a separate charity of a similar name, both of which supported voluntary organisations in Yorkshire. The company and the charity were dissolved in 2023 and 2024, respectively.[123][124]
Trade and commercial activities
Special Representative for International Trade and Investment
Andrew with Russian PresidentVladimir Putin in London, 26 June 2003
From 2001 to July 2011, Andrew worked withUK Trade & Investment, part of theDepartment for Business, Innovation and Skills, as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.[125] The post, previously held byPrince Edward, Duke of Kent, involved representing and promoting the UK at trade fairs and conferences around the world.[6] His suitability for the role was challenged in theHouse of Commons by Shadow Justice MinisterChris Bryant in February 2011, during the2011 Libyan civil war, on the grounds that he was "not only a very close friend ofSaif al-Islam Gaddafi, but also ... a close friend of the convicted Libyan gun smuggler Tarek Kaituni".[126][127] Further criticism arose after he hosted a lunch forSakher El Materi, a member of the corrupt Tunisian regime, at Buckingham Palace around the time of theTunisian Revolution.[128] Andrew also formed a friendship withIlham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, who has been criticised for corruption and human-rights abuses byAmnesty International, and visited him both during and after his tenure as the trade envoy. As of November 2014, Andrew had met Aliyev on 12 occasions.[129] These controversies, together with his ties to Epstein, led him to step down from the role in 2011.[128]
Reports indicated that Andrew maintained close ties with theSaudi royal family, which was deemed helpful to British trade interests, particularly in the defense sector.[130][131] Andrew did not receive a salary from the UK Trade & Investment for his role as Special Representative, but he travelled on expenses-paid delegations and was alleged to have occasionally used government-funded trips paid for personal leisure, earning him the nickname "Airmiles Andy" in the press.[128] On 8 March 2011,The Daily Telegraph reported: "In 2010, the Prince spent £620,000 as a trade envoy, including £154,000 on hotels, food and hospitality and £465,000 on travel."[132]
Official documents relating to Andrew's business trips between 2001 and 2011 will not be released by theForeign Office until 2065.[133] Emails disclosed as part of the Epstein files in early 2026 appear to indicate that, between 2010 and 2011, Andrew may have knowingly shared confidential information with Epstein about his official work as trade envoy; trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive, commercial, or political information arising from their official visits.[134]
Alleged comments on corruption and Kazakhstan
As the United Kingdom's Special Trade Representative, Andrew travelled widely to promote British businesses. TheUnited States diplomatic cables leak revealed thatTatiana Gfoeller, theUnited States Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, had reported Andrew discussing bribery in Kyrgyzstan and the investigation into theAl-Yamamah arms deal. According to Gfoeller, he "was referencing an investigation, subsequently closed, into alleged kickbacks a senior Saudi royal had received in exchange for the multi-year, lucrativeBAE Systems contract to provide equipment and training to Saudi security forces."[135] The dispatch continued: "His mother's subjects seated around the table roared their approval. He then went on to 'these (expletive) journalists, especially fromthe National Guardian [sic], who poke their noses everywhere' and (presumably) make it harder for British businessmen to do business. The crowd practically clapped!"[136]
In May 2008, Andrew attended a goose-hunt inKazakhstan with PresidentNursultan Nazarbayev.[137] In 2010, it emerged that the president's son-in-law,Timur Kulibayev, had paid Andrew's representatives £15 million – £3 million above the asking price – via offshore companies, for Andrew'sSurrey mansion, Sunninghill Park.[136] A BBC investigation later reported that Kulibayev had financed the purchase in part through a loan from Enviro Pacific Investments, a firm which Italian prosecutors concluded had received funds linked to a 2007 bribery scheme.[138] The BBC further reported that the final payments associated with the alleged scheme occurred only weeks before contracts were exchanged for Sunninghill Park, raising questions about whether Andrew may have inadvertently benefited from the proceeds of crime, and whether appropriate due-diligence checks had been carried out.[138] Kulibayev denied any involvement in bribery or corruption, has not been charged, and his lawyers stated that the loan had been obtained on commercial terms and later repaid with interest.[138] He frequently appeared in USdiplomatic cables as one of the individuals who had accumulated significant wealth in gas-rich Kazakhstan.[136] It was later reported that Andrew's office had attempted to secure a crown estate property close toKensington Palace for Kulibayev at the time.[139]
Andrew with Thailand's Prime MinisterAbhisit Vejjajiva in October 2009
In May 2012, Swiss and Italian police investigating "a network of personal and business relationships" allegedly used for "international corruption" examined the activities of Enviro Pacific Investments, which charged "multi-million pound fees" to energy companies seeking to operate in Kazakhstan.[140] The trust is believed to have paid £6 million towards the purchase of Sunninghill, which now appears derelict.[140] A Palace spokesman responded: "This was a private sale between two trusts. There was never any impropriety on the part of The Duke of York".[140]Libby Purves wrote inThe Times in January 2015: "Prince Andrew dazzles easily when confronted with immense wealth and apparent power. He has fallen for 'friendships' with bad, corrupt and clever men, not only in the US but inLibya, Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan,Tunisia, wherever."[141]
In May 2016, a further controversy arose when theDaily Mail alleged that Andrew had brokered a deal to assist a Greek and Swiss consortium in securing a £385-million contract to build water and sewerage networks in two of Kazakhstan's largest cities while serving as trade envoy, and that he stood to gain a £4-million commission. The newspaper published an email from Andrew to Kazakh oligarch Kenges Rakishev – who had allegedly brokered the sale of Sunninghill Park – and reported that Rakishev had arranged meetings for the consortium. After initially stating that the email was a forgery, Buckingham Palace sought to block its publication as a privacy breach.[142] The Palace denied that Andrew had acted as a "fixer" calling the article "untrue, defamatory and a breach of the editor's code of conduct".[142] Former Foreign Office minister, MPChris Bryant commented: "When I was at the Foreign Office it was very difficult to see in whose interests he [Andrew] was acting. He doesn't exactly add lustre to the Royal diadem".[142]
Arms sales
Andrew, during his tenure as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, faced significant controversy regarding his role in fosteringarms deals with Saudi Arabia, particularly in relation to alleged bribery and corruption involving BAE Systems.[143] In March 2011, Kaye Stearman of theCampaign Against the Arms Trade toldChannel 4 News that the organisation viewed Andrew as part of a wider problem: "He is the front man forUKTI. Our concerns are not just Prince Andrew, it's the whole UKTI set up. They see arms as just another commodity but it has completely disproportionate resources. At the London office of UKTI the arms sector has more staff than all the others put together. We are concerned that Prince Andrew is used to sell arms, and where you sell arms it is likely to be to despotic regimes. He is the cheerleader in chief for the arms industry, shaking hands and paving the way for the salesmen."[144]
In January 2014, Andrew took part in a delegation toBahrain, a close ally of the United Kingdom. Andrew Smith, a spokesman for CAAT, said: "We are calling on Prince Andrew and the UK government to stop selling arms to Bahrain. By endorsing theBahraini dictatorship Prince Andrew is giving his implicit support to their oppressive practices. When our government sells arms it is giving moral and practical support to an illegitimate and authoritarian regime and directly supporting their systematic crackdown on opposition groups. (...) We shouldn't allow our international image to be used as a PR tool for the violent and oppressive dictatorship in Bahrain."[145] Smith also stated: "The prince has consistently used his position to promote arms sales and boost some of the most unpleasant governments in the world, his arms sales haven't just given military support to corrupt and repressive regimes. They've lent those regimes political and international legitimacy."[146]
Promotion of Banque Havilland
In November 2020, following reviews of emails, internal documents, and unreported regulatory filings, as well as interviews with former bank insiders,Bloomberg Businessweek reported that Andrew had used his royal status and his role as trade envoy to assistDavid Rowland and his private bank,Banque Havilland, in securing clients around the world.[147] The Rowland family were among Andrew's investment advisers,[148] and he attended the bank's official opening ceremony in July 2009.[149] In his email exchanges withJeffrey Epstein in May 2010, Andrew described Rowland as his "trusted money man" although despite Andrew's encouragement for Epstein to invest in the Rowlands' venture he appeared to be reluctant.[150] It has been alleged that Banque Havilland sought to service dictators and kleptocrats.[151]
In 2021,Bloomberg News reported that a firm connected to Rowland had been paying off Andrew's debts.[152] In November 2017, Andrew borrowed £250,000 from Banque Havilland, adding to an existing £1.25 million loan that had been "extended or increased 10 times" since 2015.[153] Documents indicated that although the "credibility of the applicant" had been questioned, the loan was approved in an effort to "further business potential with the Royal Family".[153] Eleven days later, in December 2017, £1.5 million was transferred from an account at Albany Reserves – controlled by the Rowland family – to Andrew's account at Banque Havilland, paying off the loan due in March 2018.[153]
In February 2026,The Daily Telegraph reported that, in February 2010, while serving as the UK's trade envoy, Andrew forwarded a confidential Treasury briefing on theIcelandic financial crisis toJonathan Rowland, the chief executive of Banque Havilland.[154]
In December 2024, it was reported that Andrew had invitedChris Yang, a Chinese businessman initially identified as "H6" in legal documents, to events at royal residences. Yang had been authorised by a royal aide, Dominic Hampshire, to act on Andrew's behalf when dealing with potential investors in China. Yang was barred from entering the United Kingdom in 2023 due to alleged involvement in "covert and deceptive activity" on behalf of theChinese Communist Party. Andrew ceased all contact with Yang following government concerns.[155][156][157] According to a 2025 report byThe Telegraph, UK intelligence agencies deemed Andrew a potential national‑security risk because of his repeated meetings and close relationship with Yang, with concerns dating back to 2021 that his vulnerability and access could be exploited.[158]
In 2025, it was reported that Andrew had metCai Qi – who later became thefirst-ranked member of theSecretariat of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) andde factochief of staff toXi Jinping – in London in 2018 and in Beijing in 2018 and 2019.[159] Cai had been suspected of receiving sensitive information from British nationals Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, though charges against them were dropped by theCrown Prosecution Service in 2025.[159] The London meeting formed part of a welcome event for a Beijing delegation attended by then-Labour leaderJeremy Corbyn, Scottish former first ministerNicola Sturgeon, former Cabinet Office ministerDavid Lidington, and London MayorSadiq Khan.[159] Andrew's subsequent meetings with Cai were connected to the expansion and launch of his Pitch@Palace business initiative in China.[159]
Finances
Andrew received a £249,000 annuity from Queen Elizabeth II, which was reduced by King Charles III in April 2023.[160][161] In the twelve-month period up to April 2004, he spent £325,000 on flights, and his trade missions as special representative forUKTI cost £75,000 in 2003.[76]The Sunday Times reported in July 2008 that, for "the Duke of York's public role... he last year received £436,000 to cover his expenses".[162] He also receives a Royal Navy pension of £20,000.[153]
In June 2019, Andrew arranged a private Buckingham Palace tour forJay Bloom and Michael Evers, businessmen from the US cryptocurrency mining company Pegasus Group Holdings, which had agreed to pay his ex-wife up to £1.4 million for her role as a "brand ambassador".[163] Bloom and Evers were driven into the Palace in Andrew's car from their Knightsbridge hotel and later attended his Pitch@Palace event at St James's Palace before dining that evening with Andrew, Ferguson, and their daughter Beatrice.[163] Ferguson was promoting Pegasus's plan to use thousands of solar-powered generators to mine Bitcoin in Arizona, though the project collapsed after acquiring only 615 of the planned 16,000 units and generating just $33,779 (£25,000) in cryptocurrency.[163] Ferguson first met Bloom in Las Vegas in 2018, and he and Evers visited London frequently in 2019, meeting the York family on several occasions.[163] In October 2019, Ferguson signed a contract via Alphabet Capital, a British company owned by Adrian Gleave, through which she was paid more than £200,000 for Pegasus-related work.[163] Court documents showed that Andrew also received £60,500 traced to Gleave's businesses, though neither party explained the payments.[163]
Several months after Andrew's controversial 2019Newsnight interview, his private office established the Urramoor Trust, which owned both Lincelles (established 2020)[164] and Urramoor Ltd (established 2013),[165] and was, according toThe Times, set up to support his family. Lincelles was voluntarily wound up in 2022.[166] Andrew was described as a "settlor but not a beneficiary" and did not own either company, thoughCompanies House listed him and his long-time private banker Harry Keogh[a] as persons with "significant control".[167]
In March 2022, it was reported that, on 15 November 2019, the wife of jailed former Turkish politicianİlhan İşbilen had transferred £750,000 to Andrew in the belief that it would help her secure a passport.[168] He repaid the money 16 months later after being contacted by İşbilen's lawyers.The Telegraph reported that the payment had been described to the bankers "as a wedding gift" for his elder daughter, Beatrice, though court documents did not suggest that Beatrice was aware of the transaction.[169] İşbilen alleges that a further £350,000 was paid to Andrew through businessman Selman Turk, who she is suing for fraud. Turk had received the People's Choice Award for his business Heyman AI at a Pitch@Palace event held at St James's Palace days before the £750,000 transfer.[168][170] In October 2025, it was reported that in December 2019 Andrew received £60,500 from Adrian Gleave, whose company Alphabet Capital Limited had also funneled money from Nebahat İşbilen to Andrew and Ferguson.[171] Court documents indicated that Alphabet Capital had made – and might continue to make – substantial payments to Andrew, despite being listed as a dormant company with minimal turnover.[171] Gleave had links to SVS Securities, a firm shut down by regulators over pension mis-selling.[171]
Tarek Kaituni, a Libyan-born convicted gun smuggler, introduced Andrew to Selman Turk in May or June 2019 and met him on at least two occasions.[172] Kaituni, for whom Andrew had allegedly lobbied a British company, had reportedly given Beatrice an £18,000 gold and diamond necklace for her 21st birthday in 2009 and was invited to Eugenie's wedding in 2018.[172] Andrew also received "half" of £100,000 that Turk claimed was a payment to businessman Adrian Gleave to fund a search for "finding yoghurt production facilities in America".[173] In October 2025,The Guardian reported that Andrew was set to receive a one-off six-figure payment from King Charles III's private funds to help finance his move from Royal Lodge to a smaller property on the Sandringham estate.[174] He would also receive an annual stipend worth several times his £20,000 naval pension.[174]
Jeffrey Epstein maintained a close friendship with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor before and after his 2008 conviction.
Andrew was a friend ofJeffrey Epstein, an American financier who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a person under the age of 18.[175] In December 2010, Andrew was photographed walking with Epstein inCentral Park during a visit to New York City.[176] In July 2011, his role as trade envoy was terminated amid escalating controversy over his associations, particularly with Epstein.[177][178]
On 30 December 2014, a court filing inFlorida by the lawyersBradley J. Edwards andPaul G. Cassell alleged that Andrew was among several prominent figures, including lawyerAlan Dershowitz and "a former prime minister",[179] who had participated in sexual activities with a minor later identified asVirginia Giuffre (then known by her maiden name, Virginia Roberts),[180] who was allegedly trafficked by Epstein.[181] In January 2015, there was renewed media and public pressure for Buckingham Palace to explain Andrew's connection with Epstein.[182] The Palace stated that "any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue", and later repeated the denial.[183][184]
Giuffre stated that she had sex with Andrew on three occasions, including during a trip to London in 2001 when she was 17,[185] and later in New York and onLittle Saint James in theUS Virgin Islands during anorgy.[176][186] She alleged that Epstein paid her $15,000 after she had sex with Andrew in London.[185] Flight logs place Andrew and Giuffre in the locations where she said their meetings occurred.[187][188] Andrew and Giuffre were also photographed together, with his arm around her waist andGhislaine Maxwell in the background,[189] though Andrew's supporters have repeatedly claimed the image is fake or edited.[190] An email sent by "G Maxwell" to Epstein in 2015, released as part of theEpstein files, appears to confirm that a photograph had been taken, stating: "In 2001 I was in London when [redacted] met a number of friends of mine including Prince Andrew. A photograph was taken as I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family."[191]
In August 2019, court documents associated with the defamation case between Giuffre and Maxwell revealed that a second woman, Johanna Sjoberg, alleged that Andrew had placed his hand on her breast while posing for a photo with hisSpitting Image puppet in Epstein's mansion.[192] In January 2026, another Epstein victim alleged, through her lawyer Bradley J. Edwards, that she had been sent to the UK for a sexual encounter with Andrew at Royal Lodge in 2010, when she was in her twenties.[193] Her lawyer also said that she was subsequently shown around Buckingham Palace and served tea.[193] In February 2026, the BBC reported on a 2011 legal letter from theEpstein files. The letter alleged that in 2006, an unnamedexotic dancer was hired for $10,000 to perform at Epstein's Florida home for him and Andrew and was then propositioned for athreesome. She stated she was paid only $2,000.[194][195]
In November 2019, the BBC'sNewsnight broadcast an interview between Andrew and presenterEmily Maitlis, in which he discussed his friendship with Epstein publicly for the first time.[196] Andrew said he met Epstein in 1999 through Maxwell, contradicting comments made by his private secretary in 2011 that the two met in "the early 1990s".[197] In the interview, Andrew denied having sex with Giuffre on 10 March 2001, as she alleged, saying he had been at home with his daughters after attending a party at aPizzaExpress branch inWoking with his elder daughter, Beatrice.[198][199] The interview was believed by Maitlis and theNewsnight team to have been approved by the Queen,[200] though "palace insiders" quoted byThe Sunday Telegraph disputed this.[201] Although Andrew was reportedly pleased with the outcome – giving Maitlis and theNewsnight team a tour of Buckingham Palace[202] – the interview received overwhelmingly negative reactions from the media and the public. It was described as a "car crash", "nuclear explosion level bad",[203][204] and the worstpublic-relations crisis for the royal family since thedeath of Diana, Princess of Wales.[205]
In August 2021, Giuffre sued Andrew in the federal District Court for the Southern District of New York, accusing him of "sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress".[206] On 29 October 2021, Andrew's lawyers filed a response stating that he "unequivocally denies Giuffre's false allegations".[207][208] On 12 January 2022, Judge Kaplan rejected Andrew's attempts to dismiss the case, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.[209][210] In February, the case was settled out of court, with Andrew making a donation to Giuffre's charity for victims of abuse, without any admission of liability.[211]
Repercussions
On 20 November 2019, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew was suspending his public duties "for the foreseeable future". The decision, made with the Queen's consent, was accompanied by an insistence that Andrew sympathised with Epstein's victims.[212] Other working royals took over his commitments in the short term.[213] On 24 November, the palace confirmed that Andrew would step down from all 230 of his patronages.[214] The scrutiny of Andrew's relationship with Epstein also led to scrutiny of other public figures' ties to Epstein, notably therelationship of Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, and Epstein.[215]
In March 2020, Andrew hired Mark Gallagher, a crisis-management expert who had assisted high-profile clients falsely accused duringOperation Midland.[216] In May 2020, it was announced that Andrew would permanently resign from all public roles due to his ties to Epstein.[217] In January 2022, Andrew's social-media accounts were deleted, his page on the royal family's website was rewritten in the past tense, and his military affiliations and patronages were removed to emphasise his withdrawal from public life.[218] He also stopped using the styleHis Royal Highness (HRH), although it was not formally removed.[103] In June 2022,Rachael Maskell, Labour MP forYork Central, introduced a 'Removal of Titles'private members bill in the House of Commons,[219] which would have enabled the monarch or a parliamentary committee to strip aristocratic titles from individuals deemed unworthy.[220][219]
In March 2022, Andrew made his first official appearance in months, helping the Queen walk into Westminster Abbey for a memorial service for his father, the Duke of Edinburgh.[221] In June 2022, Andrew took part in the private elements of theGarter Day ceremony, including lunch and the investiture of new members, but was excluded from the public procession amid reports that his brother Charles and nephewWilliam had intervened to prevent him appearing in view of the public.[222] Following thedeath of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, Andrew appeared in civilian clothing at various ceremonial events.[223] Andrew wore military uniform for a 15-minutevigil beside the Queen's coffin atWestminster Hall on 16 September.[224]
In October 2022, it was reported that Andrew no longer received government funding.[225] In November 2022, it was reported that he was set to lose his police protection, as he was no longer expected to undertake public duties in line with King Charles's wishes.[226] His armed personal protection officers were expected to be replaced by private security guards, likely to be funded by Charles, at an estimated cost of up to £3 million per year.[227] In January 2023, it was reported that Andrew could no longer use his suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace.[228] In August 2024,The Telegraph reported that King Charles would withdraw funding for Andrew's security by the end of October, requiring him to pay for future security operations at Royal Lodge.[229]
On 2 November 2025, Defence SecretaryJohn Healey confirmed that Andrew'shonorary rank of vice-admiral – retained after he relinquished his other military titles in 2022 – would be removed following direction from Charles III,[230][231] a process finalised by 13 December.[232] He continues to hold theSouth Atlantic Medal with rosette, awarded to all who served in the Falklands War.[233] On 3 November,letters patent were issued removing Andrew's style of "Royal Highness" and the title "prince"; without these honorifics, it was agreed that he would use the family surnameMountbatten-Windsor.[234] His appointments to theRoyal Victorian Order andOrder of the Garter were also rescinded,[235] and his banner removed fromSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, the chapel of the Order of the Garter.[236] Later that month, Andrew's life membership of theSavage Club was withdrawn,[237] commemorative plaques bearing his name were removed from several locations in theFalkland Islands,[238] and Mid and East Antrim Council agreed to rename Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus.[239] On 19 November, Metropolitan Police firearms-licensing officers requested that Andrew voluntarily surrender his firearms and shotgun certificate, which he did. No reason for the surrender was given.[240]
Allegations regarding behaviour
Racist language
Rohan Silva, a former Downing Street aide, claimed that, when they met in 2012, Andrew had commented, "Well, if you'll pardon the expression, that really is thenigger in the woodpile."[241] The former home secretaryJacqui Smith also claimed that he made a racist comment aboutArabs during a state dinner for theSaudi royal family in 2007.[242][243] Buckingham Palace denied that Andrew had used racist language on either occasion.[244]
Treatment of others
During his four-day tour ofSouthern California in 1984, Andrew squirted paint at American and British journalists and photographers who were reporting on the visit, after which he told Los Angeles county supervisorKenneth Hahn, "I enjoyed that."[245] The incident damaged reporters' clothing and equipment, and theLos Angeles Herald Examiner submitted a $1,200 bill to theBritish consulate seeking compensation.[245]
The Guardian wrote in 2022 that "his brusque manner with servants is well-documented. A seniorfootman once told a reporter who worked undercover at Buckingham Palace that on waking Andrew "the response can easily be 'fuck off' as 'good morning'".[246] Former royal protection officer Paul Page said in anITV documentary that Andrew kept a collection of "50 or 60 stuffed toys" and would "shout and scream and become verbally abusive" if they "weren't put back in the right order by the maids".[247] Page later stated in the documentaryPrince Andrew: Banished that different women visited Andrew daily, and that when one was denied entry by security, Andrew allegedly called an officer a "fat, lardy cunt" over the phone. Page, who was later jailed for fraud in a property scheme, said of Andrew: "He's a bully."[248]
Andrew's former maid, Charlotte Briggs, also recalled arranging the teddy bears on his bed and toldThe Sun that when she was bitten by hisNorfolk Terrier in 1996 he laughed and "wasn't bothered".[249][250] She said she had been reduced to tears after being reprimanded for not properly closing the heavy curtains in his office, adding that his behaviour contrasted with that of his brothers Charles and Edward, who "weren't anything like him" and his father Philip, whom she described as "so nice and gentlemanly".[249]
Emma Gruenbaum, a massage therapist, toldThe Sun that Andrew regularly overstepped boundaries, making sexual comments during appointments. She said he talked continually about sex during their first session and asked about when she had last had sex. Gruenbaum said Andrew arranged regular massages for around two months, and she believed the requests stopped when he realised he would not get more.[251] In 2025,Andrew Lownie claimed in his bookEntitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York that Andrew reprimanded a palace employee for not using the proper name and title when referring to his grandmotherQueen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, calling him a "fucking imbecile".[252] Another employee recounted that Andrew would "explode one minute and then try to take it back the next".[253]
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
Monogram
As a son of the reigning monarch, he was styled at birth as "HisRoyal Highness The Prince Andrew".[254] On 23 July 1986, the day of his wedding, he was createdDuke of York,Earl of Inverness, andBaron Killyleagh, and assumed the style "His Royal Highness The Duke of York". He was occasionally known as Earl of Inverness in Scotland and Baron Killyleagh inNorthern Ireland.[254][255][256]
In 2019, in light of Andrew's friendship with the convicted sex offender Epstein, residents ofInverness began a campaign to strip him of hisearldom, saying that "it is inappropriate that Prince Andrew is associated with our beautiful city".[257] In 2022, a renewed petition was launched in Inverness, and the residents ofKillyleagh expressed the view that he should also lose his barony.[258][259]Rachael Maskell, theLabour Co-op MP forYork Central, said she would seek ways to make Andrew give up his dukedom if he did not do so voluntarily; theCity of York Council voted unanimously to remove his honorary freedom of the city, and several York councillors called for him to lose the title Duke of York.[260][261][262] In January 2022, Andrew ceased using the style "Royal Highness" in a public capacity, though he remained permitted to use it privately.[103][263][104]
1984–1992:Lieutenant, Pilot, 815 NAS onHMS Brazen; Helicopter Warfare Instructor, 702 NAS at RNAS Culdrose; Flight Commander, 829 NAS onHMS Campbeltown
Andrew's election to theRoyal Society in 2013 prompted criticism from various British scientists due to his lack of scientific background, with some stating he had only a secondary school level of education.[288] In anop-ed inThe Independent, the pharmacologist and Fellow of the Royal SocietyDavid Colquhoun wrote, in references to Andrew's qualifications, that "if I wanted a tip for the winner of the 14.30 atNewmarket, I'd ask a royal. For most other questions, I wouldn't."[288][289]
Thecoronet of a son of the sovereign proper, thereon a lion statant guardant or crowned of the same coronet charged with a label as in the arms.
Escutcheon
Quarterly, 1st and 4th gules three lions passant guardant in pale or, 2nd or a lion rampant gules within a double tressure flory counterflory gules, 3rd azure a harp or stringed argent
Supporters
Dexter a lion rampant guardant or imperially crowned proper, sinister a unicorn argent, armed, crined and unguled or, gorged with a coronet or composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lis a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also or.
Other elements
The whole differenced by a label of three points argent, the central point charged with an anchor azure.
Banner
TheRoyal Standard of the United Kingdom, labelled for difference as in his arms. as used in Scotland as used in Canada. Since 2014, Andrew has had a personalheraldic flag for use in Canada. It is thecoat of arms of Canada inbanner form defaced with a blueroundel surrounded by a wreath of gold maple leaves, within which is a depiction of an"A" surmounted by a coronet. Above the roundel is a whitelabel of three points, the centre one charged with an anchor.[302][303]
^Keogh was accused of inappropriately touching a female employee in 2015 in his previous job atCoutts, an allegation which he denied.[167] It resulted in an internal investigation that led to him quitting under pressure and later suing for unfair dismissal.[167]
^"Queen Elizabeth II holding an infant Prince Andrew".Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved17 December 2021.The Queen's third child, Prince Andrew, was born on 19 February 1960 at Buckingham Palace, and was christened on 8 April.
^Burnet, Alastair (1986).The ITN Book of the Royal Wedding. London, England:Michael O'Mara Books. p. 38.The actress Miss Koo Stark was a regular girlfriend of Prince Andrew for several years.
^McNamara, Kim (2015).Paparazzi: Media Practices and Celebrity Culture. Cambridge, England:Polity. p. 29.ISBN978-0745651743.
^Harris, Paul (26 October 2002)."Fergie: How food became my only friend".The Guardian. Retrieved25 November 2020.The ex-wife of Prince Andrew described how she struggled against obesity for most of her life and was devastated when tabloids dubbed her 'Duchess of Pork' and 'Fat Fergie'.
^Foggo, Daniel; Swinford, Steven; Mikhailova, Anna (27 July 2008)."Prince Andrew, his £15m home and the Kazakhstan connection".The Times. London. Archived fromthe original on 4 September 2008.On one of his most recent visits, in May, he [Prince Andrew] is understood to have spent a weekend on a goose-shooting excursion with Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan. ... Timur Kulibayev, 41, is a billionaire oil and gas tycoon who is known to Andrew, not least through their attendance at hunting parties thrown by Nazarbayev. ... Kulibayev has also been busy inviting VIPs, reportedly including the prince, to regular hunting meets hosted by the Kazakh president.
^Torrance, David (1 December 2025)."The removal of titles and honours".House of Commons Library. Retrieved3 December 2025.On 4 November 2025, Nick Thomas-Symonds (Minister for the Cabinet Office) stated in response to a parliamentary question that: "An Act of Parliament is required to remove a peerage once conferred".
^Jackson, Michael (Summer 2007)."Honours of the Crown"(PDF).Canadian Monarchist News (26). Monarchist League of Canada: 12. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved4 February 2015.
^"The Prince Andrew, Duke of York".Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges. Office of the Governor General of Canada: Canadian Heraldic Authority. Retrieved4 January 2016.
1 Not a British prince by birth, but createdPrince Consort.2 Not a British prince by birth, but created a Prince of the United Kingdom. Princes whose titles were removed and eligible people who do not use the title are shown in italics.
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