Ex-Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor faces fresh controversy after it was reported that he charged British taxpayers for massage services and excessive travel expenses while serving as the U.K.’s trade envoy in the 2000s, according to former civil servants. The claims come amid his recent arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and reignite questions about accountability and privilege in Britain’s royal establishment.
Former officials who worked with Andrew during his tenure as the United Kingdom’s representative for trade and investment say they were shocked by expense claims that included massage bills and costly travel arrangements. One civil servant told the BBC he originally refused to approve a massage expense after a Middle East trip, but senior staff overruled him and taxpayers footed the bill.
Another former official described Andrew’s spending as lavish, noting multiple flights, excessive hotel rooms and large entourages that were paid out of different government budgets, making oversight difficult. Those sources said the lack of proper scrutiny made the spending “look like it wasn’t real money” because it wasn’t Andrew’s own.
Andrew served as a trade envoy from 2001 to 2011, a role for which he was unpaid but subsidized by government-paid travel and expense accounts. While the new massage claims have not been independently verified, and there is no official evidence that Andrew directly committed a crime by submitting these charges, the Department for Business and Trade declined to dispute the reports, instead deferring to ongoing police inquiries.
The massage allegations surfaced as part of wider legal trouble for Andrew, whose arrest on February 19 was tied to an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office that includes claims he shared confidential trade visit documents with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After being held for more than ten hours, Andrew was released under investigation, but authorities continue to probe both expense and misconduct allegations.
Critics of royal privilege say the controversy underscores longstanding concerns about accountability and taxpayer funding for aristocratic roles that have limited transparency. Some former officials expressed regret that early objections to the questioned expenses were ignored, while others stress the importance of thorough legal review before drawing conclusions.
The unfolding scandal adds to a broader backdrop of scrutiny over Andrew’s past roles, his Epstein connections, and how government offices handle expense oversight when royalty is involved. British authorities continue to investigate and have so far released limited public information about ongoing steps.
