Royal biographer Norman Baker has made fresh claims about the conduct of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor during his years as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, a role he held from 2001 to 2011. In a new Daily Expresso video, Baker alleged that ambassadors raised concerns with the Foreign Office, describing Andrew as 'a disaster' who was 'not doing anything useful' and, in some cases, 'antagonising people' due to what they viewed as 'boorish' conduct.
Incident with Italian Designer
Baker recounted an alleged encounter involving an Italian designer during an official introduction. According to Baker, Andrew dismissed the individual after they identified themselves, reportedly saying: 'Never heard of you!' before walking away. Baker said: 'Our ambassadors around the world were writing into the Foreign Office to say this guy's a disaster, he's not doing anything useful he's actually antagonising people, because he's too boorish in the way he behaved.'
'On one occasion I think he met an Italian designer, a very important Italian designer that we were looking to do a deal with to get some stuff over here in the UK, and [Andrew's] introduced to this designer, who said who they were and he said never heard of you! And walked away. Talk about diplomacy,' Baker added.
Background on Andrew's Role and Fallout
Andrew served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment from 2001 to 2011, tasked with promoting UK business interests abroad and supporting international trade relations. He stepped back from official royal duties in 2019 following controversy surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing, including any personal gain from his trade envoy role.
King Charles formally stripped Andrew of his remaining royal titles last year. Earlier this year, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with the royal allegedly sharing sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as trade envoy. The investigation is ongoing. Thames Valley Police said at the time: 'As part of the investigation, we have today (19 February) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.'
Norman Baker's Background
Baker, who served as a Liberal Democrat MP and held ministerial office in the UK government before becoming a writer and commentator on royal and political affairs, has previously been critical of the monarchy. He has authored several books examining royal history and accountability, including '... And What Do You Do?: What The Royal Family Don't Want You to Know' (2020) and 'Royal Mint, National Debt: The shocking truth about the royals’ finances' (2025).
Daily Expresso Episode Details
The Daily Expresso, hosted by Express Assistant Editor JJ Anisiobi with regular co-hosts and guests including Esther McVey, Mark Dolan, and Carole Malone, tackles the week's biggest news stories. New episodes air every weekday at 5pm on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
