The first joint biography of the Duke and Duchess of York and the first full biography of either of them, by renowned royal biographer and literary agent, Andrew Lownie.
Drawing on four years of research, numerous FOI requests and interviews with over a hundred people who have never spoken before, the book traces the lives of the late Queen’s second son and his ex-wife through their childhoods, courtship, marriage, divorce, careers, and royal and charitable activities.
Still living in the same house, they claim to be "the happiest divorced couple in the world". The book investigates the reality of their relationship and their love lives. It charts Andrew’s record in the Falklands, his business activities and reveals details of how the couple have been able financially to sustain their extravagant lifestyles. It also recounts the full story of the Yorks’ links with Jeffrey Epstein.
Chronicling their lives in parallel, the picture that emerges is of a spoilt prince unable to connect and a duchess pushed by her insecurities into a desperate need to maintain the attention her ‘royal’ status brought. Rigorously researched and packed full of revelations, this is eye-watering biography at its best.
Entitled, Andrew Lownie
I don't know why I read this, but I guess these two have been in the news again recently, I have Virginia Roberts Giuffre's book on the stacks, and I realised I knew next to nothing about Andrew or his ex-wife, other than the occasional bit of gossip that passes as news. Which I kind of suspected this book might turn out to be, or even worse, a massive attempt at reputation restoration.
It was neither. Mostly it's politely scathing, although I could have done without the little bit of motivation explanation - mostly on her part at the end, although to be fair, it was minor and it wasn't wholehearted. I think, on reflection, this book is exactly what it needed to be. Scathing, pointed, detailed and illuminating, without sensationalism, or judgement. This reads as well researched, with plenty of comments and observations from people close to them, as well as facts (like the eye-watering dollar amounts churned through on nothing much), and the never ending pushing, shoving and demanding of yet more money. There's details about both their childhoods, and their meeting, a bit about their marriage, and a lot about their "business" dealings, and associations. It's a litany of what might seem like poor choices, if it wasn't the same story over and over again.
Ultimately came away from this read realising what a particularly appalling pair, in a world full of appalling people. Money-grubbing, attention seeking grifters. Nothing admirable or redeeming about either of them. Let's hope with the burying of his existence going on at the moment they both disappear from view and we can all concentrate our attention, more rightly, on victims.