MPs considering investigation into Andrew's role as UK trade envoy

An influential committee of MPs could launch an inquiry into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's role as a UK trade envoy despite his arrest, it is understood, as it emerged that the disgraced former royal pestered ministers about getting a bigger government role, Report informs reefrring to The Guardian.

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.

The decade-long spell as what was formally titled the UK's special representative for international trade and investment ended after a series of controversies, including his links to figures from repressive regimes and a personal style seen as brusque, as well as his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

According to one senior figure who dealt with Mountbatten-Windsor during his role with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), responsibility for which crossed between the Foreign Office and the business department, he personally asked ministers for a more significant job on multiple occasions.

"He approached ministers personally, saying ‘Can you find a bigger role for me?'" they said.

"Trade envoys are not considered a very important part of the state, they are mainly tokenistic. Andrew seemed to feel he had no real role in life, but had something to offer in terms of contacts around the world, particularly royalty."

Others who observed his trade envoy work from within government at the time said that, while his royal status could at times be useful, he was widely regarded as a liability, both because of his personality and the way he did the job.

"The classic thing would be for him to turn up – and being a royal would get access in some countries – do a lunch meeting but then disappear for six hours and come back with two new Rolexes," another senior figure said.

"What I saw was a rather unpleasant, arrogant, entitled person who was on the hustle and couldn't tell the difference between the public interest and his private interests.

"It created quite a sense of general distaste. It was always never completely clear who would pay for his trips – the Foreign Office, business department or the palace. And it wasn't cheap. He went to Davos one year and insisted on the most expensive chalet."

Another area of frustration was the then prince"s lack of liaison with 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 went they found out Andrew had already been there and they hadn't been told," one government figure said.

An area the business committee could look into is whether more could have been done while Andrew was still in the post to challenge this alleged behaviour, and particularly whether there were worries that his actions could cross over into illegality.

Both the people who dealt with him in the role said this appeared unlikely, in part as few in government took his job particularly seriously.

"There was a general sense that Andrew was seen as a bit of a liability, a freeloader, who didn't do much that useful, but that UKTI put up with it because it was something which would please the royals," the first figure said.

The second person, however, said that, particularly during the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, which comprised the bulk of the period, there was in retrospect too much deference shown.

"I don't think anyone could have predicted anything about allegations of misconduct in public office, not least as it's not clear if this was even a public office," they said.

"But this was, absolutely, a government of some people who loved tugging their forelock, and who enjoyed the company of rich people."

Among those who reportedly pushed for Andrew to receive the envoy job was Peter Mandelson, the former business secretary who is separately being investigated by police over allegations he leaked market-sensitive information to Epstein, the late child sex offender.

Downing Street is currently going through a mass of documents relating to Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to Washington in late 2024, a role which ended after details emerged about his links to Epstein.

A first tranche of the documents, ordered to be released by a Commons vote, could emerge next week, with parliament returning following recess.