A committee of influential MPs could open an inquiry into the role of the UK trade ambassador despite the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was found to have bullied disgraced former royal ministers about getting a big government role.
After his arrest on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, the cross-party Business and Trade Committee said it would meet next Tuesday to discuss a possible investigation into the role he held from 2001 to 2011.
A decade-long spell officially named the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment ended after a series of controversies, including links to repressive regime figures and his personal style, as well as his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
According to a senior figure who dealt with Mountbatten-Windsor with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), the responsible body between the Foreign Office and the Department for Business, he personally asked ministers on several occasions for a more important job.
“He personally approached the ministers and said, ‘Can you get me a bigger role?’,” they said.
“Trade envoys were not considered a very important part of the state, they were mainly tokenistic. Andrew felt he had no real role in life, but felt he had something to offer in terms of contacts around the world, especially royalty.”
Others who observed his work as a trade ambassador from the government at the time noted that although his royal status was sometimes useful, he was widely regarded as a liability due to his personality and the way he carried out the job.
“The classic thing is for him to come back – and in some countries the royal family gets access – have a lunch meeting but disappear for six hours and come back with two new Rolexes,” said another senior person.
“What I saw was a nasty, arrogant, entitled man who was in a hurry and could not distinguish between the public interest and his personal interest.
“It created a sense of general distaste. It wasn’t always entirely clear who would pay for his trips – the foreign office, the business department or the palace. And it wasn’t cheap. He went to Davos one year and insisted on the most expensive chalet.”
Another point of disappointment was the absence of any connection between the then prince and the government. Weeks before David Cameron led a high-level visit to Beijing in late 2010, Andrew appeared in China on his own mission.
“Before they left they said Andrew was already there and they weren’t told,” a government figure said.
An area the business committee could look into is whether more could be done while Andrew is still in post to challenge this alleged behaviour, and in particular whether there are concerns that his actions could become illegal.
Both people who dealt with him in the role said that was unlikely, with some saying the government took his job particularly seriously.
“Andrew was seen as a bit of a liability, a freeloader who didn’t do anything useful, but the UKTI put up with it because it pleased the Royals,” said the first person.
However, the second person said that much respect was shown in retrospect, particularly during the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown governments.
“I don’t think anyone can make any assumptions about allegations of misconduct in public office, it’s not clear whether it’s public office,” they said.
“But this is, of course, a government of a few people who like to pull their forelock and enjoy the company of the rich.”
Peter Mandelson, the former business secretary, is among those who reported Andrew to take the ambassadorship, police are separately investigating allegations that he leaked market-sensitive information to Epstein, a child sex offender.
Downing Street is currently reviewing several documents related to Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington in late 2024, a role that ended after details emerged about his links to Epstein.
The first batch of documents ordered to be released by a Commons vote could emerge next week, when Parliament returns after recess.
