Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly left palace staff "deeply shaken" after turning a royal residence into something resembling the Playboy Mansion during parties with his friends. Royal author Robert Jobson revealed the story last year in his book, The Windsor Legacy, and has now shared further details about the reaction to Andrew's behaviour.
Speaking on The Royalist podcast, Mr Jobson says Palace staff were left appalled and deeply shaken by what they were required to deal with in the aftermath of one of Andrew's "straightforward shooting weekends" at Sandringham House in Norfolk.
According to the author, the staff "Were appalled at having to clear up all these things that were distributed among the guests," Jobson said, describing how condoms, lubricant and other sexual paraphernalia had been found — and, more damningly, appeared to have been distributed to guests as party bags by the host.
"They were turning Sandringham, the Queen’s private home, into the Playboy Mansion," Mr Jobson said. "It was pretty awful." The episode occurred just two weeks before the Royal Family arrived at Sandringham for Christmas.
On the question of what King Charles knew about his brother’s behaviour, Mr Jobson revealed that they had spoken privately, with Andrew giving his elder brother personal assurances that he had not been involved in "anything untoward."
The King, Mr Jobson added, took his brother at his word, "It’s an astonishing thing that he gave his word, given that he knew full well that he lied."
As for the multi-million-pound settlement paid to Andrew’s sex abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, the author was blunt. "That’s quite clearly hush money. Whatever way you look at it."
He said that the payment appeared designed to keep the scandal from erupting during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year. "Does anybody pay £12million to someone they claim they don’t know? It’s preposterous."
The former Duke of York vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
Following the release of thousands of documents and photographs by the US Department of Justice, Andrew was seen lying across the legs of five women with his head near one woman's lap, in a picture taken at Sandringham. Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell is also in the shot, peering down and smiling.
Andrew was arrested in February under suspicion of misconduct in public office during his time as the UK's trade envoy. He was released after 11 hours at a Norfolk police station and remains under investigation.
