EXCLUSIVE: How Royal Staff Spent Years 'Beating Up' Andrew Windsor Over His Horrific Behavior
Royal staff spent years blasting Andrew Windsor for his poor behavior.
May 17 2026, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
The former Prince Andrew is said to have been subjected to years of rough treatment from exhausted royal staff who had grown increasingly frustrated with his behavior as a child, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Claims are circulating among former palace insiders about life inside the royal household that the ex- Duke of York, 66, born Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor, developed a reputation for disruptive and difficult conduct during his younger years at royal residences including Sandringham House.
Palace Staff Recount Andrew Tension
Andrew Windsor developed a reputation for disruptive conduct as a child.
According to accounts from former courtiers and staff members, tensions between Andrew and palace employees regularly spilled into physical confrontations, practical jokes and retaliatory behavior which became an open secret within royal circles during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
One former palace insider claimed staff at the Royal Mews eventually reached breaking point after enduring repeated pranks and bad behavior from the young then-prince.
The source said: "There was a feeling among some staff that Andrew was indulged far beyond what most children would ever get away with. Tempers snapped from time to time because people felt they were expected to tolerate conduct that would never have been accepted from anyone else."
Staff Felt Powerless Because He Was A Prince
Palace staff retaliated against Andrew’s constant practical jokes and taunts.
According to the insider, one incident allegedly saw Andrew dumped into a pile of manure after stable workers became enraged by his antics around the estate.
Another former employee claimed footmen and kitchen staff would quietly retaliate after being subjected to taunts, practical jokes and aggressive behavior by pushing the young royal.
The source added: "People absolutely dreaded certain days when he was in a particularly mischievous mood. There were stories about elbows catching him in corridors or trays clipping him during service, and most people inside the household understood exactly why it was happening."
Another palace source alleged Andrew developed a fascination with using a catapult while staying at Sandringham, repeatedly targeting staff members and estate workers.
According to the insider, one employee eventually responded by deliberately tripping him into mud after several days of being hit by projectiles.
The source said: "Some staff felt powerless because he was a prince and there were limits to what anyone could say. So resentment built up and occasionally boiled over in childish or physical ways."
'Queen Saw It as Boys Being Boys'
Queen Elizabeth II treated complaints about her son with weary amusement.
Claims also circulated one courtier finally lost patience and struck Andrew on the nose during an altercation after what was described as relentless difficult behavior.
Several former staff members reportedly considered resigning over the atmosphere surrounding the prince's conduct.
According to one insider familiar with royal household dynamics at the time, complaints about Andrew were often treated with weary amusement rather than serious concern by senior figures within the palace.
The source said: "There was definitely a sense that the Queen saw it as boys being boys. Staff who complained sometimes felt their concerns weren't fully taken seriously because Andrew was viewed as spirited rather than malicious."
One former royal employee allegedly approached Queen Elizabeth II intending to resign after an unpleasant incident involving the prince getting punished by staff, only for the late monarch to respond with a famously dry remark.
The Queen reportedly said: "I dare say he deserved it."
Prince Andrew Childhood Reputation Faces Renewed Scrutiny
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The late monarch remarked that her son likely deserved the rough treatment.
The allegations have resurfaced amid renewed scrutiny surrounding Andrew's standing within the royal family following years of controversy over his personal life and public reputation.
Once regarded as one of the late Queen's favorite children, Andrew has increasingly retreated from public duties in recent years after his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein triggered widespread backlash.
Royal historians have long argued Andrew's upbringing as the Queen's third child differed sharply from that of both King Charles, 77, and Princess Anne, 75, with palace staff frequently describing him as confident, impulsive and difficult to discipline during childhood.
