Andrew ‘had a long-standing hatred’ of brother King Charles | Royal | News
New allegations about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s involvement with foreign intelligence networks and his relationship with his older brother King Charles have emerged in the explosive new chapter of Andrew Lownie’s updated paperback edition: Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.
The book was first published as a Sunday Times bestseller in August 2025, and an updated version was published on 21 May. The new version of the book now contains an additional 41 pages of material in a new section titled The Reckoning, which tracks developments since the book’s initial publication and adds further allegations about the former Duke’s behavior throughout his public life.
In a subchapter titled The Intelligence Dimension, the royal biographer outlines a troubling web of national security concerns, claiming that both Chinese and Russian intelligence operations were actively targeting the former Duke of York.
According to the American intelligence document dated January 15, 2026, cited by Lownie, the Russian Intelligence Service (RIS) “trained” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to serve as a high-profile “front.” The document claims this provides a veneer of legitimacy for corruption and intelligence operations involving the UK, US and EU.
The intelligence source claims that Andrew “was not blackmailed or otherwise coerced into this role” but was instead a “willing participant in these schemes for financial, sexual and personal reward.” However, it is stated in the text that there is no allegation that Andrew knowingly partnered with Russian intelligence.
The report instead points to a psychological motivation.
Andrew Lownie writes: “The report says Andrew was motivated by a ‘longstanding ‘hatred’ of his brother Charles, whom he viewed as weak.”
‘AMW hated the attention and praise Charles received as the future King, feeling that he was best suited to the role and generally superior to the then Prince of Wales.’
“The conclusion was: ‘RIS exploited AMW’s sexual tendencies to establish a relationship relationship in order to further profit from this state of mind.’
Andrew Lownie refers to the US security service report titled Political Corruption: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: The Determined Russian Association, which was leaked earlier this year. The report claimed that the Russian government targeted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor through Jeffrey Epstein to infiltrate Britain.
The report described him as a “useful fool”, claiming that Russian intelligence exploited his resentment towards his brother King Charles and used his sexual proclivities to gain intimacy. It was alleged that he was a willing participant who sought financial, sexual and personal rewards rather than being blackmailed.
