Andrew charged taxpayers for massage when envoy, claim ex-civil servants

Former UK trade envoy Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor allegedly charged taxpayers for massage services and excessive travel expenses during his tenure between 2001 and 2011, according to whistleblowing retired civil servants who worked in the UK's trade department and claim there was insufficient scrutiny of his expenses. One former civil servant revealed he had refused to pay for 'massage services' following a Middle East visit but was overruled by senior staff, stating, 'I thought it was wrong… I'd said we mustn't pay it, but we ended up paying it anyway.' The Department for Business and Trade has not challenged these claims but has referred to the ongoing police investigation into the former prince, who was recently arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The BBC has not seen direct proof of the massage claim from over 20 years ago but has verified the whistleblowers' proximity to the relevant financial areas at the time. The revelations come as multiple former officials have independently come forward to describe what they perceived as lavish spending and inadequate oversight during Andrew's time as trade representative. A former senior Whitehall official expressed shock at the scale of Andrew's expenses, including 'excessive flights and unreasonable numbers of hotels rooms and charges for his entourage,' noting that costs seemed to disappear into different budgets with little proper record keeping. This official attributed the lack of financial controls to the deference shown to Prince Andrew by senior civil servants who were reluctant to challenge him, resulting in what he described as 'rubber stamp' approvals rather than proper scrutiny. The claims add to mounting pressure on Andrew and the royal family, with MPs on the Business and Trade Committee set to discuss launching an inquiry into trade envoy roles and their accountability. One former UKTI senior civil servant described Andrew as 'a liability' who sometimes disrupted rather than supported trade efforts, stating that his visits could take months of preparation to organize but often produced negative impacts. This official recalled working hard to prevent Andrew from visiting sensitive postings, citing occasions when Andrew was 'shouting, being rude and generally offensive.' Despite the serious nature of these allegations, Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Jeffrey Epstein and any personal gain from his role as trade envoy.