Prince Andrew 'met with 40 escorts on taxpayer-funded Thailand trip', biographer claims
A new biography makes explosive allegations about Prince Andrew's conduct as trade envoy, his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and claims of extreme sexual behaviour during a taxpayer-funded trip. Author Andrew Lownie calls for the Royal Family to "cut off this infected limb" before it's too late.
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In brief:
- Prince Andrew allegedly misused his taxpayer-funded role as trade envoy (2001-2011) to benefit friends and took Jeffrey Epstein on official trips, with government records reportedly wiped clean.
- The book alleges Andrew met with 40 escorts during a four-day official trip to Thailand and describes him and Epstein as "partners" who "shared women”.
- Lownie also claims Andrew and Prince Harry had a physical altercation in 2013, and that in 2017 Andrew allegedly told Harry that Meghan Markle was too old and the marriage wouldn't last - though Prince Harry has denied either occurred.
What’s the story?
Explosive new claims about Prince Andrew’s mysterious finances, scandalous sex life and close ties to Jeffrey Epstein have been revealed in a new biography.
In an unfiltered interview with The News Agents, Andrew Lownie – the author of the biography and a self-described “disappointed monarchist” warns that the Royal Family need to cut ties with Andrew.
“They need to cut off this infected limb, otherwise it'll infect the body politic,” he tells Jon Sopel.
In the book, ‘Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York’, The Duke of York’s private life is laid bare.
Lownie makes jaw-dropping claims of the Duke of York having 40 escorts “brought to him” on a tax-payer funded trip to Thailand, sharing women with Jeffrey Epstein, and using his business trips as special trade envoy to fill his and his friends' pockets.
On Prince Andrew’s financial scandals
Lownie believes there’s been a “cover up” to conceal Prince Andrew’s wrongdoing during his time as the UK’s special trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
He claims the Prince used his role to set up business meetings between his friends and ambassadors, rather than using his title and time to promote British trade, and took his daughters and Jeffrey Epstein, who had no business being there, on these trips with him.
“There's a very strong public interest here - he was paid for by the taxpayer,” Lownie says.
But when he requested information under the freedom of information act, from the Foreign Office and the Department for Business and Trade, about Andrew’s time as trade envoy, he tells of how he was met with excuse after excuse, and continuously hit brick walls.
“The Department of Trade internal computer has been wiped of all references to him,” he says.
The Department for Trade told The News Agents it had “complied with its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act and Public Records Act” in fulfilling Lownie’s request..
Lownie claims Andrew had the “protection of the queen”, and that whenever anyone looked into his financial dealings they were met with shrugs of shoulders, or worse, found their jobs at threat.
“Andrew could operate with impunity, knowing that nothing would happen,” he says.
On Jeffrey Epstein
Lownie does not believe that Jeffrey Epstein, who was reported to have died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019, killed himself, questioning “anomalies, discrepancies and injuries” which were not “consistent with suicide”.
Lownie points to several arguments that lead him to this conclusion.
“Why was his cellmate moved out when he was on suicide watch just beforehand? Why were the cameras not working? Why were two prison guards suddenly falling asleep for three hours at the same time and didn't mount checks?” he asks.
Beyond these questions, Lownie also cites an autopsy carried out by coroner Michael Baden, on behalf of Epstein’s brother, which found that there “were signs of homicide rather than of suicide.”
“There was another prisoner who was interviewed and said it's almost impossible to commit suicide in prison - they just make it impossible for you,” he adds.
On Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
Lownie describes Andrew and Epstein as “partners”, saying they were “brought together by their love of women and money.”
“Epstein needed three women a day, or sexual activity three times a day, and Andrew seems to be a little bit the same,” he tells Jon.
According to Lownie, Epstein had described himself and his royal friend as both being “serial sex addicts".
Lownie quotes Epstein as saying of Andrew: “He's the only person I have met who is more obsessed with pussy than me. We've shared the same women.
“From the reports I've got back from them, he's the most perverted animal in the bedroom. He likes to engage in stuff that's even kinky to me, and I'm the king of kink.”
Looking into the claim that Andrew was a sex addict, Lownie came across a story about Andrew during one of his tax payer funded official trips to Thailand in which the Duke had 40 escorts brought to him in the course of four days.
“This is a story from a named source, Andrew McGregor Marshall, the Reuters correspondent out there,” he says.
“It's confirmed by Ian Proud, a diplomat who served in the embassy, and indeed, a further confirmation from a member of the Thai aristocracy.”
On Prince Andrew and Prince Harry
In the book, Lownie also details a fight between Prince Andrew and Prince Harry that took place in 2013, in which Andrew allegedly told Harry he needed to ‘get his life in order’ and ended with Harry punching his uncle.
“My source was someone who works for Andrew. He's proved reliable,” Lownie tells Jon.
He says the two had another altercation in 2017 when Andrew questioned whether Harry had done his due diligence on his future wife - allegedly telling his nephew that Meghan Markle is too old for him and the marriage wouldn’t last a month.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry said that he and Prince Andrew had “never had a physical fight” and that Andrew did not make the alleged comments about the Duchess of Sussex.
“Recollections can vary, of course, but doesn't mean that because he's denied it, it isn't true,” Lownie says.
“This could be just an attempt to protect the honour of his wife.”
The News Agents reached out to Prince Andrew and Buckingham Palace about the claims Andrew Lownie made during this interview, but they are yet to respond.