Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style At Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Coco Gauff's New Balances
    • Dyson
    • Postpartum Texts
    • Ayan Broomfield
    • Everyday Handbags
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Princess Diana's Former Bodyguard Says Ex-Prince Andrew Is "One of the Most Arrogant" People He's Ever Met

    Ken Wharfe called Andrew "excruciatingly toxic."

    Kristin Contino's avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 4 March 2026 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Ken Wharfe holding a copy of his book about Princess Diana; Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor wearing a suit and tie
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    As one of Princess Diana’s close confidantes, her ex-bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, witnessed more behind-the-scenes than many palace employees ever would. The former Metropolitan Police Service officer worked with the late royal and her children between 1986 and 1993, and in a new interview, Wharfe says Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is “toxic” to the royal brand.

    “I did, on a few occasions, have dealings with him in a professional capacity,” he said of the former Duke of York on the “Suddenly Single” podcast (via the Daily Mail). “And I found him to be one of the most arrogant individuals I've ever had the misfortune of meeting.”

    Wharfe noted he'd kept comments about Andrew to himself until now, sharing, “Ever since the Epstein crisis that hit the Royal Family, I've taken a personal stand on this.” However, he shared that Andrew’s association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has cast a shadow on the Royal Family—and the revelations have “only just begun.”

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Ken Wharfe walking with Princess Diana next to a car

    Ken Wharfe is pictured with Princess Diana in 1992.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    “The whole issue of the Duke of York, as he was, and now Mountbatten-Windsor, is excruciatingly toxic, and continues to be,” Wharfe said. “There isn't a day now, in the last six months, where there hasn't been a story surrounding the Duke of York, Windsor's association with Epstein, which has now brought into contact his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.”

    Andrew, who formerly worked as a U.K. trade envoy, was arrested on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office after emails reportedly show he shared confidential documents with Epstein.

    You may like
    • Prince Andrew attending Garter Day wearing long ceremonial robes and a black hat with a large white feather protruding from the top and a red sash and a gold chain Ex-Prince Andrew Has Been Totally Banned From Garter Day
    • A split image of Ken Wharfe talking to Princess Diana Princess Diana’s Bodyguard Shares How She Made Staff "Part of the Party"
    • Princess Diana wearing a black blazer walking next to bodyguard Ken Wharfe Princess Diana "Didn't Always Welcome" Protection From Her Bodyguard

    “It's a subject that, as yet, is not finished,”Wharfe added. 'It's only just begun, and who knows where this might end up?'

    Ex-Prince Andrew ducking down in the back of a car after his arrest

    Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is pictured leaving police custody on February 19.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Entitled author Andrew Lownie also weighed in on the former Duke of York's arrogance in a recent interview with People.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    "Status is everything to him—it’s his only sense of identity," Lownie told the magazine, adding that despite his misdoings, Andrew "thinks he’s anointed—that it’s deeply unfair people have turned on him."

    Explore More
    Prince Andrew Diana
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

    Read more
    A split image of Ken Wharfe talking to Princess Diana
    Royals Princess Diana’s Bodyguard Shares How She Made Staff "Part of the Party"
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Diana and Prince Charles standing on the Royal Yacht Britannia
    Royals Princess Diana Shared a Surprising Trait With Prince Charles
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Princess Diana shaking hands with a fan as others take photos of her
    Royals Princess Diana’s Former Bodyguard Compares the Royal Family to "Traveling Theater"
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Diana wearing a tiara
    Royals Princess Diana Would Never Disappoint One Member of the Royal Family
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has red hair and a short beard and wears a suit and tie and attends the Kyiv Security Forum, in Kyiv on April 23, 2026
    Royals Prince Harry "Used to Try and Escape" and "Disappear"
    Prince Harry smiling in front of a step and repeat
    Royals Royal Fans Hope Prince Harry "Reunites With" One Relative
     
     
    Queen Camilla visits Speke Hall in Liverpool as Patron of the National Literacy Trust on September 04, 2026
    Royals Why Queen Camilla Says She's "A Little Creaky"
    Princess Catharina Amalia wearing a red top and smiling
    Royals Europe's Future Queens Are Making Their Own Royal Beauty Rules
     
     
    Latest in News
    Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has red hair and a short beard and wears a suit and tie and attends the Kyiv Security Forum, in Kyiv on April 23, 2026
    Royals Prince Harry "Used to Try and Escape" and "Disappear"
    Serena Williams wears a custom Nike jacket to play doubles with sister Venus Williams
    Celebrity Style Serena Williams's Custom Nike Jacket Pays Tribute to Her Incredible Career
     
     
    Prince Harry smiling in front of a step and repeat
    Royals Royal Fans Hope Prince Harry "Reunites With" One Relative
    Queen Camilla visits Speke Hall in Liverpool as Patron of the National Literacy Trust on September 04, 2026
    Royals Why Queen Camilla Says She's "A Little Creaky"
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.