Explosive new details have emerged regarding the chaotic and demanding behavior of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson during their time behind palace doors.
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In his bombshell memoir, The Royal Insider, former royal butler Paul Burrell laid bare the "terrible habits" and ultimate sense of entitlement that frequently infuriated royal staff, even leading to an internal "mutiny." According to Burrell, who served as a royal footman and butler for decades, the Duke and Duchess of York treated Buckingham Palace like an à la carte restaurant.
The couple would routinely host late-night dinner parties in their private rooms, demanding that the Queen's personal chefs and staff prepare extravagant three-to-four-course meals at all hours of the night. "The staff revolted because they were kept up late at night," Burrell recalled. "The staff would be up until midnight cooking, serving, and waiting on them."
The situation grew so intense that Queen Elizabeth II eventually intervened, giving Andrew a severe "ticking off" and reminding him that the staff belonged to her, not him, and deserved respect. Beyond the grueling hours, Burrell detailed Andrew’s "pompous" and "inconsiderate" demeanor, alleging that the Duke would routinely shout obscenities and tell staff to "F off."
The memoir also highlighted bizarre bedroom habits that drove the maids to exhaustion. Andrew was reportedly so obsessive over his extensive collection of stuffed animals that he kept a photograph of the arrangement in a drawer. Staff were forced to consult the photo every time they made the bed to ensure each toy was placed in its exact, designated spot. To add to the frustration, the couple would then refuse to let maids in for days at a time, staying in bed until all hours.