For years upon years, the British royal family has tried to maintain a pristine, polished image. That is precisely why royal protocol exists, regulating nearly every detail: bans on public displays of affection, holding hands and even — heaven forbid — kissing in public. But as strict as the rules may be, the blue bloods rarely disappoint when it comes to scandal. And this time, the drama has returned in full force.
Following the release of new documents from the Epstein files and a new biography, Entitled, by historian Andrew Lownie, Prince Andrew — who stepped back from royal duties — is once again making headlines. This time, after it was claimed he was caught in an intimate situation with another man. It is a reminder that no matter how dazzling the palace and how high its walls, the juiciest secrets always find their way out.
“Andrew is the only person I have met who is more obsessed with sex than I am”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s involvement in the Epstein affair has been widely discussed and will likely continue to be. Still, perhaps the most damaging element, beyond his alleged involvement and the possibility of future investigations, is the claim by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that Andrew reminded him of himself.
“We are very similar,” Epstein said in 2007. “We are both serial sex addicts. He is the only person I have met who is more obsessed with sex than I am. We shared the same women.” He did not stop there, adding: “From the reports I received, he is the most depraved person in the bedroom. He likes things that even I consider very kinky. And I am the king of kinky,” he declared.
Another friend of Andrew told Lownie that sex was his favorite thing, saying: “He doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t take drugs. Never has. But he was known as ‘Randy Andy’ for a reason — from a young age, and especially when he served as Britain’s trade envoy, he always had access to beautiful women and took full advantage of it.”
What does that mean? According to the book, Andrew slept with more than 1,000 women. According to journalist Ian Halperin, this included porn stars, actresses, models, athletes — as well as bartenders and politicians. In the masculine form.
In a conversation with Lownie, a former model who had a relationship with Andrew in the late 1980s, when she was 21 and he was still married to Sarah Ferguson, said: “He was obsessed with sex. He wanted me to do strange things. He had no boundaries. He said he had an open marriage with his wife.”
There is more. Additional testimony comes from Debra Gaille, a former housekeeper for Epstein, who said that during one of Andrew’s visits to Epstein’s Palm Beach home, she later found “sex toys scattered on the floor and women’s underwear in the bed.”
“Andrew used to keep women’s stockings, underwear and sandals. He wrapped everything and stored it in Epstein’s closet,” she said.
As noted, it appears not only women passed through the former prince’s bed. In Entitled, Lownie also revived an old and equally embarrassing story. According to those familiar with the matter, Ferguson returned home one night, while still married to Andrew, and found him in an intimate situation with another man.
“She found Andrew wearing underwear, lying on a large sofa next to one of his navy friends, who was wearing only socks,” said a former housekeeper who served the couple for years. According to her, Sarah was furious and demanded: “Decide — it’s either me or your damned friends. You can’t have both.”
As is known, Andrew chose those “damned friends.” The two divorced, and Andrew’s sex life resumed once again.
“He traveled around the world as Britain’s ambassador in his royal role, and had access to many beautiful women,” it was said of the former prince. In 2006, he allegedly used a period of royal celebrations in Thailand to bring 40 women to his hotel room, staying with them there for 10 days. “When one left, another immediately replaced her.”
A former palace employee, Malcolm Baker, said: “He used to drag women with him to meals with his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and each one competed with the other in a lack of intelligence.”
It appears that even extensive sexual experience did not improve his performance, at least according to one of his former lovers: “The sad truth about him is that he is not the Casanova he tries to be. Let’s just say that in bed he was a disappointment. Most of the women he was with dumped him because he was quite bad.”
Another described him as “cunning, arrogant, self-obsessed and a bully. He kept asking, ‘Do you know who I am?’” Yet another added: “One moment he pinches your backside, and the next reminds you he is royalty.”
A member of the palace cleaning staff said: “His hygiene habits as a single man were not great. He used to leave wet wipes scattered next to the bed, and the cleaning staff had to collect them the next morning.”
We would like to say the unpleasant part is behind us, but unfortunately that is not the case. From Prince Andrew, we move to King Charles III, whose rather intimate phone conversation with his wife Camilla — who at the time was still his mistress — leaked and remains etched in public memory.
In the 1970s, Charles, then still a prince, briefly dated Lady Sarah Spencer. The relationship did not last, and as he approached age 30, he came under significant pressure to marry and start a family. He eventually married Sarah’s sister, Diana — despite being in love with his former girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, who had previously ended their relationship.
Charles and Diana’s marriage, as is well known, was deeply troubled and effectively collapsed in the 1980s. They formally separated in 1992 and divorced four years later. Throughout that time, Camilla remained in the background and after the separation became Charles’ official partner.
Why revisit that failed marriage? To recall the infamous 1989 conversation between Charles and Camilla, which took place while he was still married to Diana.
“I want to feel your whole body, above, below, inside and out. God, it would be easier if I lived inside your trousers or something,” Charles said to his lover, before adding: “I could be your tampon.” Camilla’s response was no less striking: “You are a complete idiot. What a wonderful idea.”
The love story of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip is often described as the stuff of great novels — and television series, such as “The Crown.”
Elizabeth and Philip met in 1939, shortly before he joined the British navy. There are several versions of their first meeting — some say it took place during a tennis game, others at a family wedding, and some say in Dartmouth, where Elizabeth visited with her sister Margaret and their father, King George VI. All accounts agree on one point: Elizabeth fell in love with Philip at first sight.
In 1952, just five years after their marriage, Elizabeth’s father died and she became queen. From that moment, their relationship faced challenges. Philip initially resisted moving into Buckingham Palace, partly because Elizabeth’s mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, lived there and had a complicated relationship with him.
Philip reportedly found relief in a group known as the “Thursday Lunch Club,” a highly exclusive and controversial gathering. Rumors of parties involving nudity and sexual activity reached the Queen Mother, prompting concern — but they did not stop him.
Philip was part of a men-only group that met weekly for lunch at Wheeler’s Oyster Bar in Soho. According to reports, the gatherings took place on a separate floor, away from other diners, featuring fine food, abundant alcohol and cigars.
“There was an endless supply of wine, brandy and of course the finest cigars,” a source told The Sun.
“I am probably one of the last surviving members of the old Thursday Club,” journalist Miles Kington said in 1996. “Philip used to gather his close circle to enjoy some time away from his serious life at the palace.” Of course, the exclusive club was said to involve more than just food and drink. Rumors that Philip met and conducted affairs with numerous women surfaced repeatedly over the years.
During his 73-year marriage to the queen, his name was linked to many women, including actress Pat Kirkwood, television star Katie Boyle, singer Hélène Cordet, actress Merle Oberon, author Daphne du Maurier, Princess Alexandra, a cousin of the queen, and the Duchess of Abercorn, who once described their relationship as a “warm friendship.” Philip consistently denied such claims.
Those rumors, if there was any doubt, did little to affect him. He continued to lead a lively social life, frequenting bars with friends and earning the unflattering nickname of a womanizer. No claim of infidelity was ever definitively proven or disproven, and Queen Elizabeth remained by his side until his death.
It should be noted that when Netflix’s hit series The Crown aired, denials became increasingly difficult to sustain in the public arena. The series highlighted what it portrayed as an overly close relationship between Philip and Penelope Knatchbull, a close friend of the queen. In its fifth season, released after Elizabeth’s death, the show explored that relationship further, including a scene in which Philip places his hands on her while discussing his marital difficulties.
“The scene aired just weeks after Elizabeth died, and it was very unpleasant. It is cruel nonsense,” said Dickie Arbiter, the queen’s spokesman from 1988 to 2000. “The truth is that Penelope was a longtime friend of the entire family, but Netflix is not concerned with people’s feelings.”
And the scandals do not end there. Prince William has been linked in rumors to Rose Hanbury, a close friend of Catherine, Princess of Wales. Princess Margaret fell deeply in love and had a relationship with Peter Townsend, a royal aide who was then married. Princess Anne had a long-running relationship with Andrew Parker Bowles, who later became Camilla’s husband.
Anne was well aware of Parker Bowles’ romantic history and made clear she was interested in “some fun” — in other words, a noncommittal sexual relationship. Rumors suggested the two continued seeing each other even after marrying others.
What all this suggests is that the next time the royal family appears on the balcony, smiling and waving, it is worth remembering that behind the polished image lies a world of secrets, rumors and scandals. If the history of the British royal family teaches anything, it is that no matter how carefully managed the image, the drama always finds a way to take center stage.