A former royal household equerry has claimed in a new book that Prince Andrew had a “grim” catchphrase for staff which left them feeling humiliated, contrasting sharply with how the Queen Mother and King Charles treated employees
10:55, 22 Feb 2026Updated 10:55, 22 Feb 2026
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor certainly liked the finer things in life – but according to sources inside the palace, he wasn’t a favourite among the staff(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo, Getty Images)
He was reportedly the late Queen’s ‘favourite’ son – yet it seems Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor wasn’t particularly cherished by royal household employees.
A former member of staff has revealed what the ex prince is genuinely like away from public view, and alleges he had a “grim” catchphrase for personnel which left them “humiliated”.
Andrew has always been said to favour the finer aspects of life. Even following King Charles stripping him of his titles, it’s alleged that the ex duke continued to expect royal treatment from staff, savouring full cooked breakfasts prepared by a personal chef and requesting weekly deliveries of champagne and premium wines.
Royal insiders – from commentators to previous staff members – have labelled the disgraced royal “entitled” in numerous accounts.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
And according to distinguished royal biographer Andrew Lownie, Andrew’s mindset was that his staff were “there to serve and not to question his actions”
He’s said to have made peculiar demands of royal workers, and would purportedly ‘scream and shout’ if these weren’t carried out, reports the Mirror. The author interviewed one of the Queen Mother’s former equerries, Colin Burgess, for his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.
Burgess remembered: “I saw Andrew about once a month, when he came to visit Clarence House, and he would talk to the staff, including me, as an officer talks to his subordinates.”
He alleged Andrew lacked his mother’s courtesy when addressing employees and continued: “He would say things such as ‘I want this done and I want it done now,’ or ‘Have that done by such and such a time.’ I remember him always saying ‘Do it!’ which was his catchphrase of sorts.”
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office(Image: Getty Images)
This stood in sharp contrast to the treatment the equerry received from the Queen Mother or King Charles, who regarded employees as “human beings”, he stated.
In another revelation from Lownie’s book, ‘Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York’, he alleges that Andrew demanded housekeepers in his residence ascend four flights of stairs merely to draw back his curtains each morning – whilst he remained in bed next to them.
Andrew also reportedly dismissed a staff member because he “couldn’t bear” to view a mole on his face, and additionally orchestrated the removal of another employee simply because he was sporting a nylon tie, according to royal author Tom Quinn. Following his expulsion from Royal Lodge, recent reports indicate that Andrew will have a significantly reduced staff at the much smaller Marsh Farm.
Prior to Andrew’s arrest this week, it was reported that his brother, the King, had offered him the services of a Sandringham cleaner, groundsman and cook on an ad hoc basis – an offer which apparently did not “go down well”. Government sources have hinted that the former Duke of York will be removed from the line of succession once the police investigations against him are finalised.
However, such a move would require the unanimous agreement of all 14 realms over which King Charles presides, as well as an act of parliament.
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