Former royal staff member says Prince Andrew was ‘always most troublesome’

A former royal household staff member has claimed that Prince Andrew was “always the most troublesome” royal.

Evelyn Muir-Bell, 103, worked for the Royal Household in Windsor Castle for over 20 years between 1973 and 1995.

Muir-Bell, who lives in Cirencester, added that her family had a long history of working for the royal family, as her father-in-law was superintendent of the mews and taught Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret to ride horses.

Muir-Bell received a letter of thanks in 1992 after she “stayed all day and all night” to help save the paintings and china at Windsor Castle after a fire broke out that year, a year the Queen later referred to as her “annus horribilis”.

“I did my best to do as I was told,” Muir-Bell said, adding that the Queen had “graciousness” and that Her Majesty was a really “nice person”.

Muir-Bell, who was the manager of Windsor Castle’s China Museum, said that she remembers telling a young boy off for picking up the china she was charged with looking after.

It was only later that she realised this boy was Prince Andrew: “Andrew was always in trouble because he left his towels lying around,” she said.

She added that “all household thought the real princess was Anne”.

Muir-Bell has dementia but recalls some of her royal experiences. Her family said that, due to the disease, she is occasionally unaware of the Queen’s death, but was saddened to hear about it at the time.

Muir-Bell also recalled that Prince Philip would give gifts to the household at Christmas and would often ask what people wanted.

When Muir-Bell once asked for plastic plates and bowls to use with her grandchildren, she said the Queen thought this was a “sterling idea” as they looked like china but didn’t break.

These plates and bowls remain in Muri-Bell’s family today and are being used by her great-grandchildren.