“These taxpayer-funded jaunts were often used for his own business interests,” Lownie said. “The sheer brazenness of it shocked me. The cover-up from the Palace was astounding.”
Lownie further alleges the Queen did not simply ignore these dealings but actively allowed them to continue. “I originally thought she put her head in the sand. But I increasingly believe she knew and allowed it to happen,” he theorized.
Lownie contrasts the late monarch’s stance with that of King Charles and Prince William, both of whom he believes have a clearer view of Andrew’s faults.
The book also delves into Andrew’s controversial friendship with Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of sex trafficking, who Lownie claims was invited to royal residences including Windsor and Balmoral.
“Andrew gave Epstein respectability. Epstein opened doors for Andrew to meet people he might not otherwise have met,” said Lownie.
This friendship eventually led to Andrew’s removal from official royal duties and being stripped of his right to use the HRH title.
Lownie suggests Andrew’s reliance on such controversial figures stems partly from loneliness, noting the prince has few close friends and mostly transactional relationships.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s jailed madam and fixer, is also said to have had an intimate relationship with Andrew, frequently visiting and staying overnight at royal residences.
