A former British diplomat has unloaded on Prince Andrew, shedding new gentle on the Duke of York’s unusual behaviour behind the scenes over time.
Simon Wilson, now a marketing consultant however beforehand a diplomat with the UK’s Overseas Workplace, is among the many interview topics featured in a looming documentary from the tv community ITV, referred to as The Actual Crown.
Mr Wilson as soon as served as deputy head of the British mission in Bahrain, and interacted with Prince Andrew when the royal was a commerce envoy. He was not impressed.
“We had a complete raft of issues that got here out upfront of his go to, his dislikes by way of consuming and stuff. He would solely drink water, it needed to be at room temperature, no ice,” the ex-diplomat recounts within the documentary, in response to LBC.
“He at all times introduced a big entourage with him, a non-public secretary, an equerry, a valet, a woman clerk and a enterprise adviser.
“We had been shocked when a six-foot ironing board was attempting to be negotiated into one of many embassy automobiles. I simply couldn’t consider that he was bringing an ironing board with him. I requested the valet and mentioned, ‘That is insane.’ The valet’s reply was, ‘Nobody is aware of how you can iron His Royal Highness’s trousers like me.’”
This isn’t the primary account of wierd behaviour from Andrew. It’s possible you’ll recall, for example, the claims about an uncommon fixation on his stuffed toys.
These eccentricities bothered the embassy employees much less, nonetheless, than the Duke’s persistent rudeness and sick preparation.
On one event described by Mr Wilson, the embassy had ready a speech for Andrew at an occasion with the British ambassador.
“The ambassador gave the opening remarks after which mentioned, ‘Your Royal Highness, you say just a few phrases.’ And Andrew refused to stand up,” says Mr Wilson.
“Then he did stand up, and he tapped the ambassador on the top tow or thrice and mentioned, ‘That is the person who’ll inform you all about commerce,’ and sat down. The entire room went completely silent.
“I believed initially, when he went off message at conferences, that it was an aberration, till I discovered that the identical factor had occurred at each mission – Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Doha, Qatar.
“The identical behaviour. Clearly, all through his life, he’s achieved his personal factor, and was fairly joyful to proceed in that vein, and he knew there can be no repercussions.”
Mr Wilson mentioned the UK’s diplomats primarily lied repeatedly about Andrew efficiency, as a result of there was no level in them giving an trustworthy evaluation.
“There’s no recourse as a member of the royal household, so no diplomat will write a important letter. After each single go to a telegram would return to the Overseas Workplace saying, ‘All the things has been fantastic, we’re all so grateful to His Royal Highness for one more fantastic, profitable go to,’” he recalled.
“Behind the scenes it was a distinct matter.”
The documentary additionally options criticism of Andrew from a Conservative Social gathering peer, Lord Chris Patten, who discusses the Duke’s disastrous interview with the BBC in 2019.
Below questioning from Newsnight host Emily Maitlis, Andrew provided an usually farcical defence of his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, and a denial of the sexual assault allegations made in opposition to him by considered one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre.
Andrew later reached a multimillion-pound settlement with Ms Giuffre.
The Newsnight interview was so damaging to Andrew that it prompted his mom, Queen Elizabeth II, to strip him of his patronages, navy affiliations and HRH title.
“He thought he was able to getting away with some reply which inevitably turns round and hits him over the top,” says Lord Patten, who believes Andrew was complacent and out of contact with regular individuals.
“It says he’s not plugged into the identical actuality as the remainder of us.”
