Prince Andrew
Ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson tied the knot in their spectacular 1986 royal wedding. Yet before Andrew met his future bride, he was considered one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, attracting considerable attention – and admiration – for his roguish lifestyle.
When he enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1980, the playboy prince made headlines when he was deployed to Florida, where he was photographed being entertained by go-go girls at a local bar.
Biographer Andrew Morton, in his 1983 book “Andrew: The Playboy Prince”, offers a glimpse into the former Duke of York’s bachelor years.
Mr. Morton writes: “In February 1980, Andrew few out to Florida for a three week tour of duty aboard the giant aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.”
Andrew’s first excursion ashore quickly made front-page news when he visited a venue called Trader Jon’s Club Pigalle in Pensacola, reports the Express.
Prince Andrew on the California trip where his paint-throwing antics upset the Queen (Image: Getty)
Mr. Morton continues: “The club was situated in a sleazy area of the dockland and had the reputation in the area of being the naughtiest nightspot in town.
“It was famous for two things; a collection of military souvenirs – and an equally impressive collection of topless go-go girls.”
Club owner Martin Weissman told the author: “We were amazed when he came to see us, but he seemed to have a wonderful time looking at our pretty girls.”
His wife Elizabeth added: “It was a real treat having the prince here.But Lord knows what his mother would have thought.”
One of the dancers, Lindy Lynn said: “He couldn’t keep his eyes off. Now I know here he gets his Randy Andy nickname.” Mr. Morton adds: “She later renamed her act the ‘Randy Andy Eye Popper’.”
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1987 (Image: Getty)
Another dancer, Sonia Larren said: “He was a real Prince Charming. I didn’t feel embarrassed at all. But I would imagine that the Queen would not be amused.”
Mr. Morton reports: “The Navy were unmoved by the publicity. Prince Andrew bowled the American women over.
“The local US naval base launched a Dial-a-Sailor appeal to residents to help entertain the crew of the Hermes. They need not have bothered.
“Once word got around that Andrew was aboard, the phones never stopped ringing, with southern belles asking for ‘that English Prince Andy, or whatever he’s called.'”. Yet, whilst Andrew’s photograph in the club generated worldwide headlines, a separate incident proved to be the breaking point for the Queen and Prince Philip, who subsequently “read the riot act” to their second son.
In 1984, Andrew made another trip to the U.S., touring California on official royal business. Writing in Vanity Fair, journalist Sue Arnold reported: “Andrew’s romantic escapades, together with some much publicised midshipman japes (he has a penchant for practical jokes), earned him the reputation of Royal Lout-About-Town, a label that saddened his mother and annoyed his father.
“Secretly, however, Prince Philip admires Andrew’s macho action-man image – it reminds him of his own youth.”
She continues: “It was only after the famous paint-spraying episode on an official visit to California, when Andrew doused a row of photographers with white paint, that his parents finally read the riot act.”
Though Andrew’s 1986 marriage to Sarah Ferguson – affectionately referred to as Fergie – helped rehabilitate his “loutish” reputation, the Duke and Duchess of York never shed their fondness for rowdy antics. On one particularly memorable occasion, Fergie donned a mermaid costume as a birthday surprise for her husband.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward, in her 1991 book “Sarah: HRH The Duchess of York”, writes: “It is a lively crowd which shares Andrew and Sarah’s love of boisterous good fun.
“At a joint birthday party for Andrew and Australian comedian Barry Humphries (their February birthdays are two days apart), hostess Pamela Stephenson with Sarah and Elton John’s manager John Reid went upstairs and wiggled into tight gold lamé dresses and blonde wigs.
“Hobbling back downstairs, Michael Caine helped them into a large ‘sardine can’ box which he covered over. Then, with Elton John tinkling away on the piano, the Duke of York and Barry Humphries rilled back the lid – and out leapt the three ‘mermaids’ singing Happy Birthday.
“As Reid said to friends: ‘Andrew’s face was a picture’.”
]]>