A former royal butler has shared an insight onto what Prince Andrew is like(Image: AFP via Getty Images)A former royal butler described Prince Andrew as “bombastic” and says he would “shout” and “swear” at staff.
Paul Burrell began Royal Service when he was just 18 years old. He quickly rose through the ranks to become Queen Elizabeth’s personal footman – a staff member who would wait at tables or attend carriages.
He later moved on to working the-then Prince Charles and Diana at Highgrove House. He joined Diana’s staff at Kensington Palace after her divorce.
Now, on Channel 5’s The Palace: What the Royal Servants Saw, Mr Burell has revealed royal staff would routinely try to “avoid” the Duke of York.
He revealed: “People tried to avoid Prince Andrew because he was very difficult. Prince Andrew was always bombastic, was always shouty, and always swore and that’s something that you don’t expect from a royal.”
Prince Andrew reportedly swore at staff(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
Mr Burrell worked for the Queen for 11 years(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)The former butler however says Andrew was Queen Elizabeth’s “favourite son”, reports the Scottish Daily Express. He continued: “He had his mother’s ear, so whenever anything went wrong in his world he was straight to the Queen.”
Royal author Tom Quinn claims Andrew believes he is always right. He said: “He also thinks he would make a better king than his brother, for the simple reason he is the manly man that his brother isn’t.”
While fellow author Valentine Low, recounted an incident where Andrew was “stunningly rude” to the Queen’s former press secretary James Roscoe. The incident occured during a rainy day engagement in Richmond Park, London.
On the day it soon became apparent, the author said, that no one had brought the monarch an umbrella. With half an hour to go, he claims Mr Roscoe was sent to retrieve one.
Prince Andrew(Image: AFP via Getty Images)As previously reported in The Mirror, Mr Roscoe is said to have found a group of Army officers awaiting the Queen’s arrival. He asked the most junior, a captain, to find an umbrella as well as someone who could “ideally” hold it beside the Queen, reports The Mirror.
Mr Low recounts that Prince Andrew confronted the press secretary, furiously demanding: “Who the f*** are you to ask these men to find you a f***ing umbrella? You go and find your own f***ing umbrella.”
Shocked by the Duke’s outburst, the Queen’s aide watched as an officer eventually secured an umbrella. About a week later, during a conversation about another matter, the Queen queried her press secretary whether he had asked the Duke of York “to fetch you an umbrella?”.
According to Mr Low, Andrew had already spun his tale to the Queen, realising his mistake in swearing at her staff member. The press officer responded: “What do you think, Ma’am? Do you think I asked the Duke of York to fetch an umbrella?” And with that, the issue was dropped.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for a response.