Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s furious ‘showdown’ during charity royal golf event

Seasoned royal correspondent Robert Hardman has recounted an unexpected and remarkably candid clash with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, which started with a courteous introduction from Sarah Ferguson. Hardman, regarded as one of Britain’s foremost royal journalists and a veteran contributor to The Daily Telegraph, shared the story whilst discussing how individual royals’ relationships with the institution have evolved over time.

With acclaimed biographies of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II to his name, Hardman has observed the monarchy from an insider’s perspective for many years, regularly attending royal events where interactions between journalists and members of the Royal Family occur under strict protocols. Speaking on the Daily Mail‘s Royal Confidential programme, Hardman said: “I mean, probably the biggest showdown I had was with Prince Andrew and it was at the time that he’d obviously broken up with the Duchess. Well, he’s obviously no longer the Duke, she’s no longer the Duchess, but the Duke and Duchess had split up.”

Andrew and Sarah’s marriage ended in 1992 after six tumultuous years together. Yet despite parting ways, the two maintained an amicable relationship and were often seen together at official functions, creating the circumstances that led to Hardman’s memorable exchange.

Hardman revealed that he had published an article about the financial settlement after their separation, which included allegations that Ferguson was facing financial difficulties. “There was a story to do with the financial arrangements and it was to do with the fact that she wasn’t being given that much. She was running out of money and I can’t even remember the exact details,” Hardman said.

A few days afterwards, he was covering a charity golf event where both Andrew and Ferguson were present. It was during this occasion that the Duchess made what would prove to be a memorable introduction, reports the Express.

“I talked to the Duchess and she said, ‘Oh, you must you must come and meet my husband,'” Hardman remembered, confessing his initial unease.

She guided him across, declaring: “Darling, this is Mr. Hardman from the Telegraph.”

Andrew’s reaction was swift and hostile. “He went, ‘You’re the one. You’re the one.’ And I thought, ‘Here we go.'”

However, Andrew’s fury wasn’t aimed at the article’s financial revelations. To Hardman’s astonishment, the 65-year-old was incensed about an offhand comment concerning his pet.

“He said, ‘You’re the one who wrote that very inaccurate thing about my dog,'” Hardman recalled, noting that Andrew was “very cross about what I’ve written about the dog and not about the other stuff at all.”

In 2025, it emerged that the King had made the significant decision to officially remove his brother Andrew’s Prince and Duke of York titles and HRH status, effectively bringing an end to his public role. Buckingham Palace also confirmed that Andrew will vacate his Royal Lodge residence amidst ongoing controversy surrounding his connections to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew’s association with Epstein has cast a shadow over the Royal Family’s reputation, and he has been persistently accused of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein.

Andrew has vehemently denied these allegations.