Email proves Charles was warned about his brother’s ‘secret deals’: Whistleblower told Palace that Royal Family’s name was being ‘abused’ by Andrew

King Charles was warned as long ago as 2019 that the Royal Family’s name was being ‘exploited’ by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s business associations, The Mail on Sunday has revealed.

In a bombshell email, a whistleblower told the Palace that the former Duke had secret financial links with controversial millionaire financier David Rowland, who exploited his royal connections.

Messages seen by this newspaper also show that Andrew, who was sensationally arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, allowed Mr Rowland to effectively participate in his official duties.

Andrew’s links to Jeffrey Epstein and a cache of emails triggered by allegations that he passed potentially confidential and sensitive documents to the convicted pedophile threaten to draw Charles further into crisis.

Andrew once told Epstein that Mr Rowland was a ‘trustworthy money man’. The banker and his son, Jonathan, joined Andrew on trips in his official capacity as a taxpayer-funded trade ambassador between 2001 and 2011, visiting places such as China and former Soviet states.

Over several years, Andrew repeatedly warned Mr. Rowland about the business opportunities arising from his work.

Mr Rowland once gave £40,000 to Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson to help clear debts, and in 2017 she paid Andrew a £1.5 million loan.

In August 2019, a tipster with detailed knowledge of Andrew’s business dealings with Mr Rowland sent an email, through royal lawyers Farrer & Co, to Charles, then Prince of Wales, warning that ‘David Rowland was abusing the Royal Family’.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (right) and David Rowland (left) at Ascot in 2006. Messages seen by this newspaper show Andrew allowing Mr Rowland, a millionaire financier, to effectively participate in his official duties.

The letter said: ‘The actions of His Royal Highness the Duke of York show that His Royal Highness views his relationship with David Rowland as more important than that of his family.’

The tipster then sent a second email to Mr Rowland, which included copies of Charles’ private secretary Clive Alderton and the late Queen’s lawyer Mark Bridges at Farrer & Co.

The message said: ‘The evidence provided clearly proves that you are giving the Royal Family a bad name.’

The email also claimed that Mr Rowland ‘paid His Royal Highness the Duke of York to obtain a Luxembourg Banking Licence for his private bank Banque Havilland’ and included what purported to be Andrew’s bank account details.

The tip-off email forms part of a series of new MoS disclosures about Andrew’s business activities, including:

• Andrew told Jonathan Rowland he had “had a very supportive chat” with Prime Minister David Cameron and Labor leader Ed Miliband as questions were being asked about his trade ambassador position after a photo of him holding 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre, apparently at Prince William’s wedding in April 2011, was published in this newspaper.
• Andrew secretly used an official trade delegation to help broker a multi-million pound deal for his business partners to sell oil to China, in the hope of making ‘tons of money’ from Epstein.
• A British ambassador warned the Government more than two decades ago that Andrew’s behavior as trade envoy was damaging to his country and the Royal Family.

The MoS can also reveal that Andrew invited Jonathan Rowland to a meeting at Buckingham Palace, attended by the British ambassador to Montenegro, to help boost Rowlands’ business ambitions.

While the ambassador placed government staff at Rowlands’ disposal, Andrew gave David Rowland the schedule for his trip to Montenegro as UK trade envoy.

Emails show a British diplomat in Moscow told the Rowlands that the Palace event was a ‘huge success’ and linked them with the British embassy in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, which at the time included Montenegro. “If there is anything the commercial team can do to help, please feel free to contact them,” he wrote, copying it to the relevant official.

Andrew speaks to King Charles at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral in September last year. In a bombshell email, a whistleblower told the Palace that the former duke had secret financial links with controversial millionaire financier David Rowland

Andrew leaves Aylsham Police Station following his arrest on Thursday

On Saturday MPs called on police to examine evidence obtained by the MoS. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

A Buckingham Palace source said it would not be possible to make any comment on the whistleblower’s email given the ongoing police investigation into Andrew, adding that any relevant material held by the MoS should be shared with the appropriate authorities.

This newspaper has offered to share the file with Thames Valley Police.

Asked whether this would form part of the investigation, a spokesman said: ‘We have nothing to add to our existing statements regarding this case at this time.’

There are growing calls for the government to introduce legislation to remove Andrew from the line of succession, where he is eighth in line to the throne. Defense minister Luke Pollard said stripping him of his inheritance rights was ‘the right thing to do’ regardless of the outcome of the police investigation.

Gloria Allred, a lawyer representing 27 Epstein victims, called on the King and Prince and Princess of Wales to give statements to police.

He told the BBC: ‘King Charles and all members of the Royal Family have said they support the victims. The best way is for them to also have an interview with the police if requested. Or they may be willing to do it. ‘I respectfully ask that they speak openly about what Andrew may have told them about his role with Jeffrey Epstein.’

Tonight Jonathan Rowland said he had ‘no idea’ about the email sent to Charles, but added: ‘These are about my stolen emails. These were widely reported in your newspaper. ‘You can’t get a banking licence, it’s a stupid proposition.’

The Mail On Sunday features Andrew’s dealings with Mr Rowland in 2019

Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick (pictured) said: ‘Police must urgently investigate the latest revelation.’

He added that he ‘doesn’t remember’ the email about the Royal Wedding.

Banque Havilland’s license was revoked by the European Central Bank in 2024 and this decision was appealed.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘These explosive new MoS findings are shocking but not surprising. The police need to investigate these as soon as possible.

‘Andrew has committed a disgraceful act and deserves nothing less than to face justice for his dealings; This is something that has been denied to Epstein’s victims for far too long. ‘No one is above the law.’

Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘New revelations emerge every day and they are all appalling. Police investigations into these MoS revelations are urgently needed.’

Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said: ‘Police must urgently investigate the latest revelation. No stone should be left unturned to uncover the truth. ‘Andrew did everything he could to damage Britain’s reputation on the world stage through his relationship with Epstein.’

Although Andrew was not charged, the charge of misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He was released under investigation on Thursday evening, 11 hours after his arrest.

The Metropolitan Police has begun the process of ‘identifying and contacting former and serving officers who may have worked closely in a protective capacity’ with the former prince.

In a statement, police said: ‘They have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they have seen or heard during their time of service is relevant to our ongoing investigations and to share any information that may assist us.’

He declined to confirm how many current and former staff members were involved.