Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor reportedly behaved so poorly toward senior royal staff that his late father, Prince Philip, allegedly felt compelled to write a letter of apology. It has been claimed that the former Duke of York had a “physical altercation” with Vice-Adml Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, master of the household, after being told Buckingham Palace could not host a Pitch@Palace competition. The event is a high-profile, Dragons’ Den-style networking and pitch contest Andrew launched in 2014 to support entrepreneurs and tech startups.

“It was a routine household matter,” a senior staff member is quoted in a book. “The Duke wanted to have a reception, and there wasn’t any room. It was as simple as that. Tony said he’d have to wait his turn like anybody else, and the Duke went for him.”

The Telegraph reports on the alleged incident described in Hardman’s latest book, Elizabeth II, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail. According to the author, the alleged incident was more than “an outburst of expletives and a jab of a finger”, with one staffer reportedly calling it a “kinetic” blow that shocked members of the royal household. Sir Tony has served as master of the household since 2013 and continues in the role under King Charles III, overseeing official and private entertaining across royal residences spanning hospitality, catering and housekeeping.

The episode reportedly escalated to the former Duke to the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Peel, who raised it with the then-Prince Charles, who then turned to his brother. The book claims Andrew’s behaviour was considered so concerning that his late father, Prince Philip, allegedly felt obliged to write a letter of apology to Sir Tony. The Duke is said to have remained unapologetic, allegedly telling the Lord Chamberlain: “I gather you’ve been calling people and causing problems.”

Other incidents cited in the book suggest a pattern of challenging behaviour. In Windsor, a royal groom allegedly waved at an aggressively revving car, only for Andrew to bellow through the window: “Who the f— do you think you are?”

The biography also claims Andrew went against palace advice to record the 2019 Newsnight interview in the palace. Lord Peel reportedly told Hardman: “The Duke had an overriding belief that he was better than the rest of us. His self-confidence and entitlement was off the scale.”

Other allegations in the book include Andrew shouting at aides and royal protection officers over minor issues, banishing staff for trivial reasons, and instructing others to bow whenever he entered a room. Andrew Lownie, a royal author, claimed: “When anyone forgot, he would allegedly say, ‘Let’s try that again’, before leaving the room, only to walk back in again.”

Elsewhere, Hardman alleges that Jeffrey Epstein would mock Mr Mountbatten-Windsor behind his back.
He quotes a source as saying: “Jeffrey used to make fun of Andrew and say how ‘dumb’ he was.

“He told me he was taking Andrew on the planes to meet these dictators and do business deals. Andrew would mean they would get into receptions and meet people, and Jeffrey would do a deal, and he said he gave Andrew a cut.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesman told The Telegraph it did not comment on books.