Ex-Prince Andrew had 40 prostitutes brought to a Thailand hotel on a taxpayer-funded trip, biographer alleges

After Andrew Mountbatten was stripped off his Royal Title, new claims by the royal historian and author come to light

Andrew, former Prince and Duke of York (now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor) allegedly orchestrated a four-day extravaganza involving 40 prostitutes at a five-star Bangkok hotel during a taxpayer-funded trip in the early 2000s. The revelations were made public by royal biographer Andrew Lownie in his new book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (REUTERS)

Claims made by Lownie

Lownie claimed that in 2001, when Andrew was 41 and serving as the UK’s Trade Envoy, he'd opted for luxury lodging rather than embassy accommodation during a high-profile visit to Thailand for King Bhumibol’s birthday celebrations.

While the trip was publicly a diplomatic mission, Lownie alleged that the official itinerary included a “private time” segment during which Andrew requested the delivery of dozens of women to his hotel suite.

“In the space of four days, Andrew had 40 prostitutes brought in,” Lownie said in a podcast interview excerpted in the Daily Mail-run Deep Dive series. “What we are seeing is a pattern of trips paid for by the taxpayer that were used for personal indulgence.”

Lownie urged the release of the British government's National Archives. He called for the release of files from the time Andrew acted as the Trade Envoy, arguing that there was a “conspiracy of silence.”

British government and palace officials have declined to comment specifically on Lownie’s new claims, stating only that they take “all serious allegations regarding misconduct by members of the Royal Family extremely seriously”, as per The Times.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources in Bangkok reportedly suggest that the stay at the five-star Mandarin Oriental or Grand Hyatt (depending on the year) resulted in taxpayer cost burdens of tens of thousands of pounds.

While Andrew has not publicly addressed the prostitute-allegation headline, he has previously denied the vast majority of abuse allegations connected to his financial, legal and personal conduct.

Andrew's removal from Dukedom

The allegations come at a moment of change for Andrew’s royal standing. On October 30, Buckingham Palace announced the removal of his dukedom and royal styles, citing “serious lapses of judgement”. His lease at Royal Lodge, Windsor, was reportedly terminated.