Air Miles Andy - The Truth Behind The Nickname

This is the final in my drafts folder that I want to send out this week. Apologies for the many newsletters this week, I have had posting time on my hands… Anyway, this one is a break from Harry etc and is about Andrew. I started this one a few weeks ago. Enjoy…The world has been, understandably, fixated for years on the Epstein related allegations against the former Duke of York. His other entanglements and indiscretions as British trade ambassador have somewhat taken a backseat. But I have for a long time thought that was a part of the story that deserved much more attention - and posed an even greater risk to the monarchy. For years, a lot of people have looked at Prince Andrew’s tenure as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment as a bit of a punchline - the era of “Air Miles Andy.” It was common knowledge that he liked the private jets, the five-star hotels, and the company of the world’s most questionable billionaires. But until very recently, we really didn’t know the half of it.

New documents released from the National Archives, combined with investigative journalism that has emerged this year, have painted a truly staggering picture of a role that was less about “selling Britain” and more about serving Andrew and his greed.

One of the most significant revelations from the recent archival releases is the extent to which Queen Elizabeth II personally lobbied for her second son to have this specific role. Memos from the late 1990s show a flurry of correspondence between the Palace and the Foreign Office. The documents show that while the government officially made the appointment, it was essentially The Queen’s intervention that ensured the Prince got his job. The archival files contain notes from top-level government secretaries expressing “considerable reservations” about the Duke’s temperament.

Following his departure from active service in the Royal Navy, Andrew was a prince in desperate need of something to do. The archives reveal that the Queen was “acutely anxious” that her son have a “substantial, dignified role” that reflected his status. Despite some pushback from civil servants who noted that the Prince’s brand of “blunt diplomacy” might not suit sensitive trade negotiations, the Queen’s wish was eventually granted. You all know how much I admired the late Queen but it is undoubtable that she erred greatly by not taking the advice she was given in this circumstance.

In 2001, Andrew was appointed Special Representative for International Trade & Investment - a role that he held until 2011 . He was given an office at Buckingham Palace, a team of dedicated staff, and a travel budget that would make an oil tycoon blush - and very little oversight.