“These taxpayer-funded jaunts had been typically used for his personal enterprise pursuits,” Lownie mentioned. “The sheer brazenness of it shocked me. The duvet-up from the Palace was astounding.”
Lownie additional alleges the Queen didn’t merely ignore these dealings however actively allowed them to proceed. “I initially thought she put her head within the sand. However I more and more imagine she knew and allowed it to occur,” he theorized.
Lownie contrasts the late monarch’s stance with that of King Charles and Prince William, each of whom he believes have a clearer view of Andrew’s faults.
The guide additionally delves into Andrew’s controversial friendship with Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of intercourse trafficking, who Lownie claims was invited to royal residences together with Windsor and Balmoral.
“Andrew gave Epstein respectability. Epstein opened doorways for Andrew to fulfill individuals he may not in any other case have met,” mentioned Lownie.
This friendship finally led to Andrew’s elimination from official royal duties and being stripped of his proper to make use of the HRH title.
Lownie suggests Andrew’s reliance on such controversial figures stems partly from loneliness, noting the prince has few shut pals and principally transactional relationships.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s jailed madam and fixer, can be mentioned to have had an intimate relationship with Andrew, continuously visiting and staying in a single day at royal residences.