Author of Prince Andrew book squirms as he's accused of writing 'salacious gossip'

A new royal biography about Prince Andrew has been branded a "salacious hatchet job" by GB News host, Jacob Rees-Mogg. The author of 'Entitled The Rise and Fall of the House of York', Andrew Lownie, appeared on the news outlet and was challenged by the former Conservative MP about his claims.

Jacob pressed the author for answers, claiming his joint biography of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson was packed with "gossip" and lacked substance. He asked: "What did you feel needed to be told that people didn't know?" The author replied: "This is the third in a trilogy on royal marriages. I did one on the Mountbattens, one on the Duke of Windsor, and now this. The question people kept asking was, 'What is the story of the happiest divorced couple ever?' People are intrigued by a couple who were only married a short time but, thirty years later, still live together."

The author added: "There was a strong story there, especially with Andrew being in the news over Epstein-but what really interested me was how they leveraged their royal status for private gain, and the damage that did to the monarchy."

During the interview, Jacob pointed to a passage about Prince Andrew allegedly hiring an escort, quoting: "The book says, 'The comedian Katy Brand has a story from a friend.' Is that a good source?"

"Sometimes, that is all we have," Lownie admitted.

Jacob added: "That's my point. You've got salacious gossip, starting with an unfounded allegation against Prince Philip. Would you have written it while he was alive and could have sued you for libel? You're making sleazy claims without solid evidence."

The author followed up on insisting the book is supported by "an awful lot" of strong sources, including on-the-record diplomats, naval personnel, and special royal representatives.

The debate also flared up when Jacob highlighted a story claiming Sarah Ferguson once ate an entire side of beef every night. Jacob asked his guest: "Do you really believe that?"

The author responded with a swipe of his own, referencing Jacob's own book: "We know from the reviews of your book that clearly a lot went wrong." To which Jacob answered: "There were no errors in my book, people just didn't like it."

Amid a number of shocking claims, as serialised in the , the new biography also alleges Prince Harry and his uncle entered a violent altercation during a family gathering in 2013 over "something Andrew said behind Harry's back". Author, Andrew Lownie, claimed "Harry got the better of Andrew by all accounts", with Harry leaving his uncle "with a bloody nose" before their fight was broken up.

Later, Andrew told Harry his marriage to Meghan Markle would not last more than a month and accused his nephew of going "bonkers" and not doing any due diligence into her past.

Representatives for the Duke of Sussex have since denied the fight ever happened, adding that Andrew never made the alleged comments. A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex told the Daily Mail: "I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry."

'Entitled The Rise and Fall of the House of York' is due to be released on August 14, 2025.