Royal Author Says Prince Andrew Was "Living On Planet Windsor" And Insisted on "Lavish" Lifestyle Unlike Other Royals

Historian Andrew Lownie's book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, charts Prince Andrew's dramatic journey from favored son of Queen Elizabeth to disgraced royal. The author paints a picture of the Duke of York's extravagant tastes and how he demanded luxurious treatment while traveling on behalf of the Crown—a mindset that was at odds with the other members of his family. Andrew earned the nickname "Air Miles Andy" because of how extensive he traveled, and it wasn't always on behalf of the British government.

Prince Andrew served as the U.K.'s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment from 2001 until 2011, when he was forced to step down because of his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. During one such trip in 2004, Lownie wrote that while the duke insisted on staying in the lap of luxury in China, he "showed no interest in his role nor the country."

Prince Andrew was traveling on behalf of British oil and gas companies, but seemed to focus more on his swanky accommodations. "One diplomat involved with organising the visit remembered how other members of the Royal Family travelled relatively simply," Lownie wrote. "But Andrew, with a large retinue, insisted on staying in the Presidential Suite of a five-star hotel."

The author continued that the Duke of York "was very self-important and conscious of his status and insisted on holding each day in his suite a lavish and unnecessary planning breakfast, yet he did not seem to have been briefed or have any interest in being briefed."

Journalist Catherine Mayer traveled to China to document the trip with Prince Andrew, and according to Lownie, "she did not take him seriously and openly mocked him, accusing him of living on 'Planet Windsor' and suffering from a lack of self-awareness and emotional intelligence."

"She tired of the practical jokes, the 'childlike behaviour like Lord of the Flies,' and how proud he was of liking 'weird things,'" the author continued.

According to Lownie, the prince frequently took private planes and helicopters, spending £32,000 "on three trips to golfing events in St Andrews" in one year alone.

During one such trip, "he spent £4,645 to take an RAF jet" to the world-famous Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews "instead of a £254 commercial flight, so he could finish 18 holes and, according to his aides, rush back to London."

"His next official engagement was not for another four days," Lownie added.