Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor commissioned a favourable review of his role as Britain’s trade envoy, which was followed by increased taxpayer funding for his overseas activities, according to internal documents found in the Epstein files.
He ordered the “independent strategic review” of his position as special representative for international trade and investment in early 2008 after years of criticism over the cost of his official travel.
Internal Buckingham Palace documents seen by The Times show that the review concluded Andrew was a “highly valuable UK asset” and recommended that he continued developing the role.
The papers,revealed by The i Paper, state the government subsequently endorsed the findings and provided increased financial support for his activities.
Andrew served as trade envoy between 2001 and 2011 in a role that was unpaid but came with government-funded travel, accommodation and staffing costs linked to his overseas engagements.
The details emerged in confidential human resources documents prepared when Andrew expanded his private office in 2009 and recruited Philip Yea, the former chief executive of 3i Group, a private equity firm, as a senior business adviser.
A briefing pack sent to Yea by Andrew’s private secretary described how he had developed the trade role “significantly” and summarised the conclusions of the review. It stated: “The review indicated that HRH was highly valued by UK businesses and that he should continue to develop the role as a unique and highly valuable UK asset.
“The government agreed and provided strong endorsement with increased funding to support the duke’s activities.”
The review was carried out by the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) at a time when Andrew faced mounting scrutiny over the cost of his official travel and had acquired the nickname “Air Miles Andy”.
Critics questioned why some taxpayer-funded trade missions appeared to coincide with trips to luxury destinations and golf resorts.
Royal household accounts previously showed that Andrew’s travel expenses exceeded £350,000 for five trips in 2010-11 alone.
A royal source told The Telegraph at the time: “There is not a word of criticism about the prince in the PwC report and it is hugely supportive of his work, though it is not always easy to quantify how much of the deal-clinching is down to him.”
The government approved a larger budget for Andrew’s trade role after the review, paying for accommodation, travel and related expenses for him and his staff.
The PwC review nonetheless identified areas in which travel spending could be reduced.
Former civil servants have also claimed that Andrew sought reimbursement for massages during overseas visits. One former staff member said he initially tried to block a request to cover “massage services” but was overruled by senior officials.
