Prince Andrew's Former Maid Opens Up About His Behind-The-Scenes Behavior
There are many stories out there about Prince Andrew's inappropriate behavior, and his former maid is now adding her tales to the list.
The 61-year-old Duke of York — who recently had his military titles, royal patronages, and His Royal Highness title revoked due to sexual assault allegations — is Queen Elizabeth's third child and the most problematic (via BBC).
He was friends with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, and some of his reported mishaps include saying the N-word while talking with a senior political aide, spraying paint on reporters, and ramming open park gates instead of driving one mile farther to get home, per Vanity Fair.
"Everything you hear about Andrew's personality is true and then some," a former royal aide told the Daily Beast.
Charlotte Briggs was 21 when she got the job "nobody wanted," she said, which was being Prince Andrew's maid after he divorced Sarah Ferguson in 1996 (via The Sun). Here's what she recalls from her time working for the royal.
Prince Andrew's former maid remembers him as being 'lazy,' 'demanding,' and 'arrogant'
Prince Andrew's former maid Charlotte Briggs spoke with The Sun about how he acted and treated her, recalling one particular incident that got out of hand. It involved closing heavy floor-to-ceiling curtains for the duke.
"He was a bit lazy, and he would call down from his office and say, 'Can you send the maid to shut the curtains?'" she recalled.
"One night I'd done it all, I walked back into the corridor, and he came out screaming, 'Can't you f***ing do anything right?' I'd left a little gap where they met, but they were extremely heavy."
Prince Andrew's screaming brought Briggs to tears. She further described how the royal was "extremely demanding" and how she "often tried to hide" while working for him.
"Andrew was just arrogant, and it's a shame, because it probably ruined my experience," she said.
Prince Andrew reportedly had tantrums over his stuffed toy collection
Charlotte Briggs followed up with the Daily Mail after her initial revelations regarding Prince Andrew and didn't mince words, saying, "I don't give a toss what Prince Andrew feels ... he is a horrible, nasty man." Briggs said she felt encouraged to speak out against Andrew's behavior after she saw that his stuffed bear collection was mentioned on the news. Briggs was reminded of the meticulous way his 72-teddy bear collection was to be maintained, with the biggest bears in the back and the smallest ones in the front (per the New York Post). His two favorite bears were kept on mini-thrones by either side of his bed.
According to The Sun, Andrew's royal crest-embroidered pillows were to be placed in the exact center of his canopy bed after the mattress was turned. His night clothes had to be placed carefully on the bed, and his bears removed from there. Maids were given a laminated instructional sheet detailing the placements of the bears throughout the day and where they should be moved to later at night (per The Sun). Additionally, the directions called for specific bed placements of his stuffed hippo and black panther toys, in relation to his colored throws.
Briggs detailed the tantrums Andrew would throw if the exact specifications weren't followed regarding his stuffed toys. She told The Sun, "I even had a day's training. Everything had to be just right. It was so peculiar."
Another former Buckingham Palace maid details Prince Andrew's 'petulant' behavior
Former palace staff members only added to Charlotte Briggs' account of Prince Andrew, sharing their own recollections of peculiar behind-the-scenes interactions with him. When Andrew was 39, he reportedly placed his toiletry bag in Prince Charles' bathroom, per the Daily Mail. After staff tried to tell him that he placed his items in the wrong bathroom, the Duke of York refused to move his belongings. It was only after Her Majesty herself, Queen Elizabeth II, stepped in that Andrew listened and moved his items from the bathroom. Former Buckingham Palace maid, Janette McGowan, called it a "bizarre stand-off" and elaborated that there was nothing different between the two bathrooms. "Charles was very grown-up about it, which is more than you can say for Andrew," McGowan added.
Briggs contrasted her humbling encounter with former South African President Nelson Mandela with the demeaning treatment she faced from Andrew, telling The Sun, "I was even hugged by Nelson Mandela. Andrew was a world away from him. You couldn't get a bigger contrast." She added, "Nelson Mandela appreciated everything he had and never underestimated the huge responsibility he had as a human being. Andrew was just entitled."
Briggs further claimed that Andrew was the only royal who acted entitled and that her interactions with Charles and Prince Edward were nothing short of respectful. Even in her brief run-in with the Duke of Edinburgh, she felt he was "nice and gentlemanly." Regarding the sexual assault allegations Andrew faces, Briggs said, "It's the queen I feel sorry for. It must be hard for her."