Britain's Prince Andrew has stepped down from royal duties. Photo / AP
Britain's Prince Andrew has stepped down from royal duties. Photo / AP
As the fallout from Prince Andrew's disastrous interview continues, former staffers have revealed what it was like to work for the royal.
And Prince Charming he was not, according to several sources.
In the wake of the scandal highlighting the prince's relationship with US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, few have leapt to Andrew's defence during the worst week of his royal life.
A source told The Sun on Thursday: "Prince Andrew has very few friends. And most of his older friends have dropped him as too pompous. His days are rather empty."
It was this "arrogance", insiders say, that convinced the Duke of York to go ahead with the BBC interview about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Despite strenously denying allegations he slept with teenager Virginia Roberts during the interview, the plan to clear his name spectacularly backfired.
The backlash prompted the prince to step down from royal duties.
As an aside, Andrew's spectacular self-destruction also raises questions about the future of his advisors.
His private secretary Amanda Thirsk is widely expected to be forced to be blamed in part for the disaster.
Here we look at all the ways he's driven people away.
THE HORRIBLE BOSS
Prince Andrew is allegedly notoriously rude to staff with one former royal aide telling The Sun, "I've seen him treat his staff in a shocking, appalling way.
"He's been incredibly rude to his personal protection officers, literally throwing things on the ground and demanding that they 'f***ing pick them up'. No social graces at all."
THE AIDE RAGE
In September, it was reported that Andrew's altercation with a top palace aide was so heated that Prince Charles had to step in to insist he apologise.
Prince Andrew appears on BBC Newsnight with Emily Maitlis. Photo / BBC
The fuming Duke of York got "very cross" in the exchange, said to be about a work-related issue.
It was reported that the pair almost came to blows, though the palace refused to confirm the incident.
Britain's Prince Andrew leaves his home in Windsor, England. Photo / AP
The Sun reported Charles demanded his brother apologise – something a royal insider said the Duke failed to do.
THE RUDE LANGUAGE
In 2010, Wikileaks revealed a secret cable from a US ambassador who described how Prince Andrew, then a UK special representative on trade, had spoken "cockily" during an official engagement, leading to a discussion that "verged on rude".
In the cable, written in 2008, Tatianna Gfoeller, Washington's ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, wrote of "rude language a la British".
She noted how the prince branded Americans as being ignorant of geography.
Part of her memo back to Washington read: "Again turning thoughtful, the prince mused that outsiders could do little to change the culture of corruption here. They themselves have to have a change of heart. Just like you have to cure yourself of anorexia. No one else can do it for you.
"He reacted with almost neuralgic patriotism whenever any comparison between the US and UK came up. For example, one British businessman noted that despite the 'overwhelming might of the American economy compared to ours' the amount of American and British investment in Kyrgyzstan was similar. Snapped the duke: 'No surprise there. The Americans don't understand geography. Never have. In the UK, we have the best geography teachers in the world!'."
THE BUFFOON HIGHNESS
Sir Ivor Roberts, an ambassador to Rome between 2003 and 2006, described how Andrew "rubbed people up the wrong way".
When one head of a major fashion house introduced herself, he rudely responded: "Never heard of you."
Virginia Roberts pictured with Prince Andrew, a meeting the Duke of York denies. Photo / AP
Britain's former deputy head of mission in Bahrain, Simon Wilson, also described how officials gave Andrew the nickname "His Buffoon Highness" because of how he would childishly do the opposite of whatever had been agreed ahead of a visit with staff.
"Colleagues put this behaviour down to an inferiority complex about being mentally challenged," Wilson said.
THE JET-SETTING SNOB
Famously dubbed "Air Miles Andy" for his jetsetting, the prince's overseas visits not always ran smoothly.
He had a meltdown at Melbourne Airport in Australia, in 2005, refusing to go through the normal security procedures like the rest of the riff raff.
But indignant Australian officials refused to indulge him. One later told local Press: "Who does he think he is? What a pompous prat.
"Everyone has to go through security screening. He should be happy to do so and set an example."
A source who has known him for many years said Prince Andrew was "incompetent" when it came to his social life.
"He surrounds himself with these incredibly dodgy people," the source said.
Jeffrey Epstein died in jail of suspected suicide. Photo / AP
"He travels so much, when he comes back he is either playing golf, if he can find any friends to play with, or he is leading quite a lonely life. It's not like he goes to parties all the time.
"He has got these so-called friends who drop by when he is in this country, and there is usually a stream of transient girls."
QUEEN'S FAVOURITE
Andrew's biggest problem, many believe, is that he is spoiled.
For years the Queen – who is said to view him as her "favourite" – has indulged his every whim.
Prince Andrew is said to be the Queen's favourite. Photo / AP
One former friend confided: "Andrew does stupid things out of hubris, to show that he can do them … He thinks he can power his way through everything."
RAMMED GATE WITH HIS 4X4
The prince is reportedly prone to childish behaviour, such as when he rammed gates near his home with his Range Rover.
He was travelling to Royal Lodge in March 2016 when he arrived at Windsor Great Park to find the gates' sensors broken.
He could have taken a 1.6km detour but instead chose to try to ram the gates open - causing thousands of dollars of damage.
