Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly called the policeman to the palace, says Dai Davies (Image: Getty/Daily Express)
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was a “bully” who cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds, the former head of royal protection, Dai Davies, has claimed. The disgraced ex-prince allegedly “browbeat” one of Mr Davies’ predecessors as head of Scotland Yard’s Royalty Protection Command over his children’s security before they were even born, regardless of the cost to the public.
The tense showdown, which took place at Buckingham Palace, saw the former Duke of York call the top policeman for a meeting in which he demanded his daughters be given 24/7 security from birth at taxpayers’ expense. Princess Beatrice was born in 1988, and Eugenie followed in 1990, meaning the pair had round-the-clock security for 23 and 21 years respectively – something that is thought to have cost the Met Police, Surrey Police and Thames Valley Police hundreds of millions of pounds.
The security was controversially revoked in 2011 after Princess Eugenie’s gap year racked up an eye-watering taxpayer bill of more than £100,000, as she was accompanied by police bodyguards while travelling to India, the US, South Africa and Thailand.
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Andrew, pictured with Sarah after Eugenie’s birth, made the demand before his children were born (Image: Getty)
Describing Andrew as a “bully”, Mr Davies, who was head of the Royal Protection Command from 1994-98, exclusively said he personally queried the decision to approve the security after Andrew’s demand. However, referring to Elizabeth II, he said: “No one wanted to question the Queen.
“It was an example of how he has operated as a bully, supported by his mother, who chose to ignore the reports.”
Andrew’s elder sister, Princess Anne, had not made a similar request for her two children, Peter and Zara, he said.
As a family, Mr Davies said the Yorks “have cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions” in police protection.
Andrew ‘demanded’ security be given to his daughters from birth (Image: Getty)
Speaking of Eugenie’s gap year controversy, royal expert Richard Kay told the Channel 5 documentary Beatrice and Eugenie: Pampered Princesses: “She was sort of flitting from country to country as most middle-class young people do who take gap years.
“But, of course, she was accompanied by police bodyguards. That meant that we, the taxpayers, were paying for policemen to accompany her to the fleshpots of the world.”
According to reports at the time, it was the then-Prince Charles who stepped in to control the spending.
However, he was met with “furious” pushback by his younger brother, who did not welcome the suggestion and even reportedly contacted Queen Elizabeth for guidance.
The King reportedly pushed to have the security revoked (Image: Getty)
Also speaking on the programme at the time, royal biographer Angela Levin said: “Prince Charles decided that as they were not likely to be very senior royals, that this was too much for the public to pay, so he stopped that.
“Prince Andrew was so angry that he wrote a note to the Queen. He said he wanted them to be considered as proper royals. He did not want the protection officers to leave them.”
Mr Davies notes that Andrew tried to “plead” and “demand” that the decision be reversed, but was unsuccessful. It is now understood that both princesses, who are not working royals, have any security they need privately funded.
The only royals with 24/7 police security nowadays are the King, Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal do not have full-time security. However, they are guarded when they are carrying out public engagements.
The Metropolitan Police, Thames Valley Police and Surrey Police have been contacted for comment.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has continuously denied wrongdoing and did not respond to the Daily Express’s request for comment.