Prince Andrew's odd bedroom – 72 'adored' teddies displayed in size order and 'Daddy' pillow – The Mirror
Several former Buckingham Palace employees and even a former Mirror reporter who famously got a job in the royals’ inner sanctum have lifted the lid on the unusual nature of Prince Andrew’s bedroom
Prince Andrew's infamous interview on BBC Newsnight is being thrust back into the spotlight due to a brand new Netflix dramatisation that drops today.
Called Scoop, the film shows how the BBC team secured the car crash interview, which ultimately led to the Duke of York's banishment from royal life. Actor Rufus Sewell takes on the role of the prince, with the show recreating parts of the interview by Emily Maitlis, played by Gillian Anderson.
Other parts of the drama depict Andrew in his home, which is Royal Lodge in Windsor, which he shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. However, previously, he lived at Buckingham Palace in London, where several claims have been made about the unusual nature of his bedroom.
Numerous former Palace workers have spoken out to reveal what they saw in the room during their time working there, including teddies on the bed. One of those is Charlotte Briggs, a former maid who worked at the Palace in the mid-90s, who claimed the prince had 72 cuddly toys on his bed.
She said the toys had to be lined up in size order, and it took staff an entire day to be trained on how to arrange them on his bed. She told the Sun: "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." She added: "But he absolutely loved the teddies and was very clear about how he wanted them arranged."
The biggest teddies were said to be put at the back, and the rest were in descending order of size to the smallest at the front. The prince's two favourite teddies were placed on mahogany thrones at his bedside, Charlotte claimed.
Royal author Ingrid Seward, whose latest book My Mother and I was released on February 15, claimed that his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson slept among the teddies when they were together. The expert said she was surrounded by "around a dozen teddy bears" on his bed during their marriage.
Meanwhile, in a separate ITV documentary about Andrew, there were more claims about the handwritten guide to arrange the toys and other items in the room. According to former royal protection officer Paul Page, the handwritten guide is said to have included two toy hippos, a black panther and bears, as well as three cushions called 'Daddy', 'Ducks' and 'Prince'. It showed exactly where to place blankets, as well as five toys and a fur, which had ribbons that had to hang off the side of the bed.
According to Paul, the instructions were laminated and titled "DOY bed: Points for turn down & making the bed", with Andrew keeping the accompanying sketch close to his bed while staying at the Palace.
Meanwhile, a third insight into the room at Buckingham Palace was given by former Mirror reporter Ryan Parry, who actually got a job there. He secretly worked at the palace for two months in 2003 after using bogus references to expose the then gaping holes in royal security.
During his time there, he was able to walk unchecked through Andrew's private apartment and uncovered a running joke with household staff, which saw him leave a stuffed monkey in unusual locations. The toy, which was the mascot of the former ITV Digital and a puppet co-star of comedian Johnny Vegas, was left in places such as the jaws of a stuffed leopard.
