Ahead of his move out of the Royal Lodge, a staff member has raged over the former prince’s poor behaviour.Michael Moran and Eilidh Farquhar Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
17:57, 29 Dec 2025
A former royal staff member has recalled his experience of working for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.(Image: Daniel Leal/Getty Images)
A former member of the royal staff has revealed that he was shocked by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s behaviour while he worked for the Royal Family, sharing that he even felt like “decking” the former prince at one point. In a biography of Andrew, it was made clear that he saw staff just as employees, and treated them as such.
With the former Duke of York’s impending removal from his home in the Royal Lodge, which he has lived in since 2008, Andrew is likely to not receive the same ‘royal hospitality’ that he has grown used to over the years. Since his titles and honours were stripped, many individuals are now recalling their experiences working for the 65-year-old.
Many have shared their own accounts of his appalling behaviour, with some noting his discourtesy and self-centred conduct, reports the Express. One former staff member, Colin Burgess, even said he was close to “decking” the former prince for a rude comment he had made.
Talking to royal biographer Andrew Lownie, Burgess – who worked as an equerry for the late Queen Mother – revealed the turning point that made him view the then Duke of York as an “ignorant sod”. He recalled: “I remember nearly telling him where to go when he came into Clarence House and wanted something wrapped.
“He looked at me and barked: ‘You, wrap that!’ and pointed to some object. I just thought, you rude, ignorant sod, and felt like decking him.” Lownie went on to explain that his treatment was a clear divergence of how the Queen Mother saw and treated her personal staff.
Since losing his titles, many individuals have recalled their interactions with the former Duke of York.(Image: Steve Parsons/Getty Images)
He explained: “It was obvious to Burgess in the way the royals viewed the Queen Mother’s staff. For [King] Charles, they were her companions, but to Andrew staff were just employees and were to be treated as such.”
Burgess went on to add: “I saw Andrew about once a month, when he came to visit Clarence House, and he would talk to the staff, including me, as an officer talks to his subordinates.
“He would say things such as: ‘I want this done and I want it done now,’ or ‘Have that done by such and such a time.’ I remember him always saying ‘Do it!’ which was his catchphrase of sorts.”
And it wasn’t only the staff members that experienced Andrew’s disgruntled attitude, as society journalist Petronella Wyatt also described Andrew as lacking self-awareness and being self-important.
Recalling her first encounter with Andrew at an upscale county house party in the 1990s, Wyatt told Lownie: “He reminded me of Princess Margaret, who thought she was more royal than the Queen.
“He talked and you had to listen and ignored all attempts to change the conversation. He was as charming as a bull in a china shop and continued to make inappropriate jokes. He’s the most out-of-touch royal I’ve ever met and I’ve met lots. He really does believe in the Divine Right of Kings.”
Personal bodyguard to the late Princess Diana, Ken Wharfe, also shared his experiences with the royal biographer. He mentioned that he had been asked to switch seats on a return flight from Balmoral so that Andrew could enjoy the window view.
Wharfe stated: “Unlike the rest of his family, Andrew has always proven to be a very arrogant individual. It’s just in his nature … and anyone he comes across in policing or public service is certainly of a lower class than him. His manners are just awful and his behaviour and attitude quite frankly does not endear him to everybody.”
Andrew has also been mentioned in many stories of reckless driving around the Windsor estate, which led to pedestrians having to jump out of this way. Back in 2010, he was even reported to have hit a police officer while speeding into Buckingham Palace.
Lownie said: “The uniformed officer suffered an arm injury and complained to his superiors but nothing was done.” A member of staff at Windsor Great Park also said in 2016: “He has a bit of a reputation for roaring around like Toad of Toad Hall.”