Prince Andrew is now facing a new controversy as there is a growing demand to launch a probe to investigate his business affairs. The Duke of York reportedly exploited his roles as the United Kingdom's trade envoy when a trail of emails revealed he helped a multimillionaire financier for his own interest.
A trail of emails revealed that the troubled prince drummed up business for a Luxembourg-based bank for his business partner David Rowl. Queen Elizabeth's second son co-owned an offshore fund in the British Virgin Islands, called Inverness Asset Management, with the 74-year-old tycoon.
Prince Andrew reportedly requested for private government documents and gave it to his business associates, per Express. An investigation also claimed that a separate business in the Cayman Islands was made to persuade his "wealthy royal contacts" across the globe to invest in it.
However, he got dismissed as the U.K. Special Representative for International Trade and Investment in 2011. When this happened, David Rowland's son and right-hand man in the business, Jonathan Rowland, suggested that they should continue their business "under the radar," to which Prince Andrew replied, "I like your thinking."
In one of the emails, it revealed Prince Andrew was in line to become a partner in the Rowlands' bank. In defense, Buckingham Palace explained that when Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie's father was the U.K.'s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment between 2001 and July 2011, he and his office aimed to promote Britain and British interests overseas and not the interest of individuals.
However, former Foreign Affairs Committee member Chris Bryant, who was in office when Prince Andrew was the U.K.'s trade envoy, said that the Foreign Affairs Committee or the Public Accounts Committee should launch an inquiry about it. "It all just stinks. I don't think he has ever been able to draw a distinction between his interest and the national interest. It's morally offensive," he said.
Tory member of the Public Accounts Committee before the General Election Nigel Mills supported Chris Bryant's suggestion and also demanded a probe. He explained that Prince Andrew was never fit to be the U.K.'s trade envoy. He also added that anyone who is in public service should know the rules about separating one's interest from the job they are doing.
Unfortunately, what Prince Andrew did wasn't even close to the rules. Nigel Mills also said that it was a "million miles over it."
Prince Andrew quit his role as the U.K.'s trade envoy after the news that he stayed with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after he got released from jail emerged. He also withdrew from his royal duties when his interview on BBC Newsnight turned into a disaster and received public backlash.
