PRINCE Andrew repeatedly exploited his role as Britains trade envoy to work for a controversial multi-millionaire financier, it was reported last night.
While on official trade missions, the Duke allegedly promoted a Luxembourg-based bank for the super-rich, owned by a businessman called David Rowland and his family, according to the Mail on Sunday.
In what could be seen as a conflict of interest, the Prince allowed the Rowlands to book meetings into his official trade tours so they could reportedly expand their bank and woo powerful and wealthy clients.
Andrew has also been accused of passing the family private government documents they had no right to see.
Leaked emails from Davids son Jonathan Rowland claim Andrew was due to take a financial stake in the Rowland family bank that he was secretly helping to promote.
Andrew also had a 40 per cent stake in a firm based in the British Virgin Islands called Inverness Asset Management that was in existence until March this year.
The Duke of York pictured with Virginia Roberts, who he says he can recall meeting
On another occasion, Andrew demanded a private briefing memo from Treasury chiefs about the Icelandic financial crisis, then passed it to the Rowlands.
Months earlier, they had bought part of a collapsed Icelandic bank in a 86million deal; Andrew also took Jonathan Rowland on an official trade mission to Saudi Arabia where the pair met Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abulaziz al Saud, the second son of the countrys current monarch.
According to the Mail on Sunday, when the Duke was facing the sack from his envoy role because of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, Jonathan suggested their commercial activities could continue under the radar.
Andrew is said to have responded: “I like your thinking.”
Chris Bryant, who was a Foreign Office Minister at the time Andrew held his trade envoy role, said: “I dont think he has ever been able to draw a distinction between his own personal interest and the national interest.
“Its morally offensive. Either the Foreign Affairs Committee or the Public Accounts Committee should launch an inquiry into this.”
Former Conservative Party treasurer David Rowland, 74, was a tax exile for decades and helped pay off Sarah Fergusons huge debts.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The Duke was the UKs Special Representative for International Trade and Investment between 2001 and July 2011 and in that time the aim, and that of his office, was to promote Britain and British interests overseas, not the interests of individuals.”
According to the Mail on Sunday, the Duke did not provide a comment and “the Rowlands declined to comment for legal reasons”.
