Emails Claim Andrew Lobbied at William Wedding
Prince Andrew is alleged to have used Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s 2011 wedding as an opportunity to reinforce his position as the UK’s trade envoy, according to a Daily Mail report citing leaked email exchanges. The claims come as the Duke of York remains under renewed scrutiny over past associations and conduct during official engagements.
According to Daily Mail, messages between Prince Andrew and his business associate Mr Jonathan Rowland suggest the Duke discussed his difficulties with then-prime minister Mr David Cameron and Labour leader Mr Ed Miliband on the day of the Westminster Abbey ceremony.
The emails quoted in the report include Mr Rowland telling the Duke the event looked like a “good opportunity” to defy critics, with Andrew replying “Yup!” and describing a “very supportive chat” with the Prime Minister and Mr Miliband. The Daily Mail said the exchange appeared to refer to the wedding day, when Andrew attended with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie in a ceremonial naval uniform amid reports he could be excluded from the guest list.
The allegations add to the ongoing pressure on the monarchy as King Charles faces a “serious crisis” as Andrew scrutiny intensifies in wider coverage of the fallout.
In the Daily Mail account, the context for the Duke’s reported conversations was a “firestorm” surrounding his role as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment, including criticism linked to his association with Jeffrey Epstein and remarks attributed to a leaked US diplomatic cable. The report notes Andrew resigned from the post less than three months after the wedding.
