Overview
- Robert Hardman’s forthcoming biography, serialized by the Daily Mail, alleges Andrew struck Master of the Household Vice-Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt during a row over booking space for a Pitch@Palace event at Buckingham Palace.
- A staff witness described the contact as a "kinetic" blow, and Hardman reports that Prince Philip later sent Sir Tony a letter of apology.
- According to the book, Sir Tony reported the clash to Lord Chamberlain Lord Peel, who raised it with the then Prince Charles, who spoke to his brother.
- Hardman also writes that the Lord Chamberlain received a call from Andrew afterward in which he said, "I gather you’ve been calling people and causing problems."
- The revelations surface as Andrew faces ongoing legal and reputational fallout, including a police probe on suspicion of misconduct in public office and his absence from the Easter service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.