Prince Andrew’s peculiar bedroom includes 72 ‘cherished’ teddy bears that are arranged in size order and a ‘Daddy’ pillow. The Duke of York’s notorious BBC Newsnight interview is once again under scrutiny due to a fresh Netflix dramatisation titled Scoop, which premieres today.
The film delves into how the BBC team managed to secure the disastrous interview, which ultimately led to Prince Andrew’s exile from Royal duties. Actor Rufus Sewell portrays the prince, with parts of the Emily Maitlis interview being recreated by Gillian Anderson.
The drama also offers glimpses of Andrew at his residence, the Royal Lodge in Windsor, which he shares with his former wife Sarah Ferguson. However, it was during his time at Buckingham Palace in London that several unusual aspects of his bedroom came to light.
Several ex-Palace employees have shared their observations of the room, including the presence of teddy bears on the bed. Among them is Charlotte Briggs, a former maid who worked at the Palace in the mid-90s, who alleged that the prince had 72 soft toys on his bed.
A former Royal maid has revealed the peculiar demands of Prince Andrew regarding his collection of teddy bears. Speaking to The Sun, she disclosed: “As soon as I got the job, I was told about the teddies, and it was drilled into me how he wanted them. I even had a day’s training. Everything had to be just right. It was so peculiar.”, reports the Mirror.
She further noted: “But he absolutely loved the teddies and was very clear about how he wanted them arranged.” The arrangement required meticulous attention to detail, with the largest teddies at the back and the others in descending size order, leading to the smallest at the front.
Charlotte, the ex-maid, also mentioned that the Duke’s two favourite stuffed animals were given pride of place on wooden thrones next to his bed. Royal commentator Ingrid Seward, who recently published her book My Mother and I on February 15, commented on the teddy situation, revealing that Andrew’s former wife, Sarah Ferguson, used to sleep among these teddies.
Seward described the scene as Ferguson being surrounded by “around a dozen teddy bears” during their time together.
Adding to the teddy tales, a separate ITV documentary featured claims from former Royal protection officer Paul Page about a detailed handwritten guide for arranging the prince’s teddies and other bedroom items. This guide reportedly included instructions for placing two toy hippos, a black panther, bears, and three cushions labelled ‘Daddy’, ‘Ducks’, and ‘Prince’.
It also specified the exact positioning for blankets and five toys, alongside a fur adorned with ribbons that were to drape over the bed’s edge.
Paul revealed that the instructions were laminated, going by the title “DOY bed: Points for turn down and making the bed”, with Andrew apparently treasuring the accompanying sketch close by while staying at the Palace.
On a separate note, Ryan Parry, former Mirror reporter, was able to divulge a third account of what went on inside Buckingham Palace when he secured a job there under false references. This audacious act in 2003 sought to highlight the then glaring weaknesses in Royal security.
During his two-month covert operation, Parry gained unrestricted access to Andrew’s private apartment and stumbled upon an entertaining prank shared among household staff. The joke involved leaving a stuffed monkey, which was the mascot of former ITV Digital and a puppet sidekick to comedian Johnny Vegas, in the most unexpected places, including the jaws of a stuffed leopard.
