Rees-Mogg clashes with Prince Andrew biographer over ‘salacious gossip’ behind new book

The author of a new biography about the Duke and Duchess of York has clashed with Jacob Rees-Mogg over the book, which the GB News host branded as “salacious gossip”.

The book, called Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, written by Andrew Lownie, has made claims about the disgraced duke’s life.

It includes accusations of affairs, fights with Prince Harry and of being “unbelievably cruel” to royal staff.

But the author was confronted by Mr Rees-Mogg over the sources he used in the joint biography, which has been serialised in the Daily Mail.

open image in gallery

When asked at the beginning of the interview why he had written the book, Mr Lownie said: "There was a strong story there, especially with Andrew being in the news over [Jeffrey] Epstein — but what really interested me was how they leveraged their royal status for private gain, and the damage that did to the monarchy."

But the author was then questioned on the reliability of his sources, with Mr Rees-Mogg accusing him of predominantly using newspaper reports.

During the interview, Mr Rees-Mogg asked Mr Lownie about a claim made in his book regarding the duke allegedly hiring an escort. He asked the author if his source, quoted as “the comedian Katy Brand has a story from a friend”, was sound.

"Sometimes, that is all we have," Lownie said, to which Mr Rees-Mogg replied: That’s my point. You’ve got salacious gossip, starting with an unfounded allegation against Prince Philip. Would you have written it while he was alive and could have sued you for libel? You’re making sleazy claims without solid evidence."

open image in gallery

The author defended his sources, highlighting that he had interviewed 300 people, including on-the-record diplomats, naval personnel, and special royal representatives.

At the end of the heated exchange, Mr Rees-Mogg thanked the author for his “hatchet job”.

Extracts of the book have grabbed headlines in recent days, with a series of claims made about the duke and duchess and their relationships to the royal family.

The book has claimed Prince Andrew called a staff member in the Royal Household a “f***ing imbecile” for not referring to the Queen Mother by her full title in 2005.

open image in gallery

According to the book, Prince Andrew’s catchphrase when dealing with royal staff was “I want this done and I want this done now. Do it!”

Mr Lownie also claims in his book that the relationship between the Duke of York and his younger nephews, William and Harry, was “problematic”.

The Duke of York is alleged to have accused Prince Harry of going “bonkers” for marrying Megan Markle.

However, a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex told The Daily Telegraph that Prince Andrew did not “ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry”.

The spokesperson also denied the book’s claim that the pair had ever gotten into a physical fight.