Prince Andrew has been described as out of touch and self-centred by a royal author who recalled accompanying him on an official trade mission to China.
Journalist and author Catherine Mayer shared her experiences with the Duke of York in her book Divide and Rule, offering a critical assessment of his conduct during the trip.
Reflecting on the assignment, Mayer wrote that she was the only journalist invited to travel alongside Andrew on one of his trade missions. While she acknowledged that members of the Royal Family can sometimes appear detached from everyday life, she claimed Andrew's lack of awareness stood out.
"A few months earlier I had accompanied Andrew on one of his trade missions, the only journalist ever to do so," Mayer wrote. "Royals are often disconnected from everyday realities, but the gaps in Andrew's understanding of the world seemed startlingly wide."
She also recalled an incident in which Andrew questioned why she was barefoot during the trip.
According to Mayer, the situation arose after she lost a shoe while trying to keep up with a departing convoy. She claimed the vehicles would often leave as soon as Andrew was seated, forcing those travelling at the back to rush toward moving cars.
"He had apparently never noticed that his convoys set off as soon as he was seated, leaving anyone travelling at the back of the column to fling themselves at moving vehicles," she wrote. "I had lost a shoe in the process. He told me, for the sake of decorum, to wear the remaining one."
Mayer further argued that while Andrew's trade missions were intended to promote British interests abroad, they came at a considerable cost. She pointed to the extensive planning involved, as well as travel, accommodation and security expenses for the Duke and his entourage.
According to the author, each overseas visit required significant resources, including the presence of four royal protection officers throughout the trip.
