Prince Andrew's Private Life: Scandals and Stories

The royal family has always had its share of drama, but few members have caused as much trouble lately as Prince Andrew. His name's been all over the papers, and not in a good way. Since serious allegations against him came out, he's become one of the least popular royals. But this wasn't his first bit of scandal – Andrew's been linked to dodgy stuff for most of his life.

The Queen's Favourite

It might surprise people now, but Andrew was supposedly the Queen's favourite child. You'd think Prince Charles would be, being the heir and all, but apparently the Queen felt closer to Andrew. This was partly because she had more time with him when he was little, unlike Charles, who was mostly brought up by nannies whilst his mum was off doing royal duties. So Andrew probably had a warmer upbringing than his older brother.

A Spoilt Brat

Andrew's closeness to the Queen meant he got away with behaviour that others wouldn't. Biographer Nigel Cawthorne said he was "spoiled at every opportunity" and absolutely exhausting for staff to deal with. He was known for throwing tantrums and his nanny nicknamed him "Baby Grumble" because he was so stubborn. Even his parents struggled with him at times. One story goes that he once made snooty remarks about "common people" whilst watching telly, which got him a proper telling-off from Prince Philip.

Trouble at School

Andrew's behaviour didn't improve at school. At just eight years old, he got a reputation as a bully. His classmates didn't like him, and neither did the teachers. He was nicknamed "The Giggler" and was apparently boastful and loved telling crude jokes. At Gordonstoun boarding school, he wasn't a great student and his attitude didn't win him any friends amongst the staff.

Rude to Staff

As he got older, Andrew's behaviour towards palace staff was often described as horrible. Former bodyguard Ken Wharfe said his manners were "just awful". Others reckoned he was only polite to certain women, particularly blondes. There are reports of him chucking things on the floor and expecting staff to pick them up, using language that was far from royal. Working for him was supposedly a nightmare.

His Thing with Koo Stark

In the early 1980s, Andrew started going out with actress Koo Stark. They met on a blind date in 1981 and hit it off quickly. But the romance got messy when the press dug up Stark's role in the 1976 film Emily, which had nude scenes and a kiss with another woman. The scandal brought loads of media attention, and the couple eventually split because of the constant harassment from the paparazzi.