A former diplomat who encountered Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on five occasions has disclosed the peculiar item the ex-Duke of York insisted on bringing during his official travels abroad. Simon Wilson, who served as deputy ambassador to Bahrain from 2001 to 2005, described the object as “absolutely insane.”
The Peculiar Travel Accessory
Wilson helped arrange trips for Andrew during his decade-long tenure as a trade envoy, a role he assumed in 2001. Despite the position being unpaid, Wilson claimed the late Queen’s son travelled with a substantial entourage. Among the staff was a valet whose primary duty involved carrying a six-foot ironing board.
“There was this chap called the valet who was carrying a six-foot ironing board which we were unaware of until it arrived,” Wilson recounted. “And then the ironing board got stuck in the revolving door of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Bahrain — this five-star hotel. I’d say to the valet, ‘Why on earth are you bringing this ironing board — is this normal?’ And he’d say, ‘Yes, I carry it everywhere because I’m the only person that knows how to iron his Royal Highnesses’ trousers.’”
Wilson expressed disbelief, stating, “It’s absolutely insane — this is one of the best hotels in the Gulf.”
Demands for Luxury Travel
According to Wilson, Andrew refused commercial flights, even first-class options, and insisted on private planes for business trips. He also declined to stay at the ambassador’s residence, which would have been complimentary, instead opting for the finest hotels, such as the Royal Suite at The Ritz-Carlton in Bahrain.
Wilson, a long-serving former member of the British diplomatic service, noted that they received “reams of instructions” detailing Andrew’s preferences. These included specific food tastes and a preference for still water at room temperature with no ice.
Staff Intimidation
One immediate observation Wilson made was the apparent fear among Andrew’s staff. “One thing that was noticeable, which I didn’t encounter with any other visit of a royal family, they always went very smoothly anyway, was that his staff seemed to be petrified of him,” Wilson said. “You really got the impression that they were really uncomfortable all the time, treading on eggshells, didn’t want to put a foot wrong, and of course that transferred in the wider picture to us, the embassy who were organising things, we were treading on eggshells.”
Wilson also revealed that Andrew’s nickname among diplomats was “His Buffoon Highness.”
