The Duke of York’s reputation is already low and new revelations will do little to dispel the public’s view of him as the very embodiment of entitlement and privilege
Prince Andrew’s reputation continues to suffer as the new three-part TV drama A Very Royal Scandal premieres on Amazon Prime. The series revisits his infamous 2019 interview with Emily Maitlis, where he addressed allegations of đâŻđual assault and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke’s public image is already tarnished, with many Brits viewing him as the epitome of royal entitlement. This perception was further highlighted in a recent episode that features a new account of the deadly Iranian Embassy siege in 1980. During the ongoing crisis, Andrew reportedly insisted on visiting the scene.
The siege, which lasted six days, ended with the SAS storming the building and resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, including five terrorists. In Ben Macintyre’s book, The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama, itâs revealed that a then-20-year-old Andrew was watching the television coverage of the events unfold, seemingly treating the situation as a “ripping yarn.” This latest revelation adds to the mounting challenges facing the Duke as he grapples with the fallout from both past and present controversies.
He ordered his protection unit to contact the siege police commander John Dellow because he “would like to visit for lunch”. Macintyre reveals the request was refused by stunned cops dealing with a precarious situation where lives were on the line.
Macintyre writes: “The last thing Dellow needed, at this delicate moment, was a princeling and his entourage in the building standing around asking questions and eating sandwiches.” He adds: “The young royal wished to be where the action was. And he was used to getting what he wanted.”
The siege started on April 30, 1980 with gunmen making a number of demands, including the release of prisoners and safe passage out of the UK. Despite some minor concessions, the group of Iranian Arabs became impatient and on the sixth day murdered a hostage and threw their body out the window of the embassy.
The SAS launched Operation Nimrod to secure the safety of the remaining hostages during the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980. In a dramatic 17-minute raid broadcast live on television, special forces đđŸđđed five of the gunmen, although one hostage also lost their life during the operation. This event marked a significant moment in the early days of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, introducing the SAS to the public consciousness for the first time.
The embassy building itself remained closed until 1993 due to a fire ignited during the assault. During this time, Prince Andrew was serving in the Royal Navy, where he saw action as a Sea King helicopter co-pilot during the Falklands War, further intertwining his military background with notable historical events.
