Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor passed on a confidential Treasury briefing to a banker friend, according to new emails.
He was Britain’s trade envoy in 2010 when he requested an official update on the financial crisis gripping Iceland at the time.
When the Treasury sent him one, he forwarded it to his financier friend, Jonathan Rowland, to read ‘before you make your move’.
The former Duke of York is already facing a police probe over claims he leaked confidential data to Jeffrey Epstein when he was the UK’s special representative for trade.
Thames Valley Police detectives are assessing whether to open an investigation.
Buckingham Palace said it stands ‘ready to support’ police in any investigation, in a statement in which the King expressed his ‘profound concern’ at mounting allegations against his brother.
Now there is further evidence of Andrew’s apparent willingness to pass on official documents to rich friends.
Mr Rowland was the former chief executive of Banque Havilland, founded by his father David Rowland, to whom the former prince was also close.
The former Duke of York is already facing a police probe over claims he leaked confidential data to Jeffrey Epstein when he was the UK’s special representative for trade
According to new emails, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor passed on a confidential Treasury briefing to a banker friend, Jonathan Rowland (pictured centre)
In the emails, Andrew tasked his deputy private secretary Amanda Thirsk to write to Michael Ellam, the Treasury’s director general of international finance.
At the time, the UK and Iceland were having a diplomatic row over British deposits lost in the 2008 banking crisis.
Ms Thirsk wrote on February 8, 2010: ‘The Duke of York met with the prime minister of Iceland at Davos and would very much like to receive an update note on the latest position between the UK and Iceland on the matter of the deposits and the deposit scheme.’
A week later, a different Treasury official replied with a note, and she forwarded it to Andrew, who passed it to Jonathan Rowland, whose bank had bought assets from a failed Icelandic lender a year earlier. In the email, seen by The Telegraph, Andrew told him: ‘I pass this on to you for comment and a suggestion or solution? Amanda is getting signals that we should allow the democratic process happen before you make your move. Interested in your opinion?’
Banque Havilland was connected to a major investigation by Icelandic authorities.
The email was sent days after Iceland’s office of the special prosecutor raided the offices of Kaupthing Bank, part of which had been acquired by Banque Havilland after the Icelandic institution collapsed. Many who lost access to cash were British.
Andrew’s connections to the Rowland family go back years. It was reported in 2022 that documents suggested David Rowland had in 2017 paid off a £1.5million bank loan for the duke.
Mr Rowland and Banque Havilland were approached for comment.
- Prince William’s Earthshot Prize has been reported to the Charity Commission over a founder’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem was yesterday ousted as chairman of transport giant DP World over emails shared with the paedophile. In one, Epstein told the Emirati businessman: ‘I loved the torture video.’