Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s rumoured new girlfriend has finally addressed speculation about their relationship, revealing the truth behind her closeness with the disgraced former prince.
British socialite Aliba Bellingham, who lives near Andrew’s new residence at Marsh Farm in Norfolk, has spoken publicly for the first time about the nature of their relationship after rumours emerged the pair had struck up a romance.
The keen horsewoman and hunter, believed to be in her 60s, boasts strong aristocratic connections and is understood to have known the former Duke of York since childhood.
Her godmother was Frances Shand Kydd, the mother of the late Princess Diana, while her brother is former Conservative MP Lord Bellingham.
Bellingham is also a member of the exclusive North Norfolk social circle known as the “Turnip Toffs” and has reportedly been spotted visiting Andrew at his home on King Charles’ private Sandringham Estate.
The 66-year-old former prince has been living at the property since February, following renewed scrutiny over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
However, despite mounting speculation about a possible romance, Bellingham has now insisted the pair are nothing more than friends.
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, the British socialite poured cold water on the rumours, explaining that their friendship largely revolves around a shared love of horses.
“We hang out from time to time and talk about horses and dogs – that’s what we have in common,” she said of the former Prince.
“We get on well. He loves his horses.”
Bellingham went on to firmly dismiss suggestions she had become Andrew’s new love interest, revealing how she believed the speculation first began.
“But there’s no question of me being a ‘girlfriend’, we’re just acquaintances. I think the rumours began when an American journalist got to hear I’d been to tea with him, and then made two plus two equal five.”
The divorced mother of two, who divides her time between London and Norfolk, also made it clear she was not interested in judging Andrew over his scandal-plagued past.
“I’m not the sort of person to dwell on things in another person’s past,” she said.
“I think Andrew has found Norfolk to be a very welcoming area and that he’ll enjoy living here.”
Bellingham’s brother Henry also weighed in on the speculation, revealing the family’s longstanding ties to the royals.
He explained that their family estate’s proximity to Sandringham meant he and his sister had frequently played with Andrew and his siblings, Prince Edward and Princess Anne, during their childhood.
“Andrew was a friend of my family during our childhood days,” he said.
“So, in a way my sister has known him all her life.”
The socialite’s comments come just weeks after the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden reported that members of her influential Norfolk social circle had begun rallying around Andrew following his spectacular fall from grace.
According to Eden, some members of the Turnip Toffs believe the backlash against the former prince has gone too far.
“The view is that things have gone too far,” one member of the group told Eden.
The source also claimed Andrew had been forced to flee a potential attacker who allegedly approached the vicinity of Marsh Farm wearing a balaclava, just three months after the former prince’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
“The feeling is that Andrew needs to be welcomed back, at least to some extent.”
The apparent show of support comes at a particularly turbulent time for Andrew, who is preparing for what could be his most uncomfortable public questioning since his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview.
In December, the former Duke of York is expected to appear at London’s High Court after being summoned to give evidence in a civil fraud trial involving Turkish businessman Selman Turk.
While Andrew is not accused of wrongdoing in the proceedings, he could face difficult questions about his financial dealings after allegedly receiving money linked to the disputed transactions.
Among the payments expected to attract scrutiny is a reported £750,000 (about AUD$1.4 million) transfer to the former prince.
The upcoming court appearance threatens to thrust Andrew back into the spotlight as he continues to grapple with the fallout from his association with Epstein and the convicted sex offender’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Separately, Andrew remains under investigation by Thames Valley Police over suspected misconduct in public office.
Police Scotland has also been examining allegations of criminal activity involving Andrew, Epstein and Maxwell at Balmoral Castle.
Andrew has strenuously and consistently denied wrongdoing.
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