Sarah Ferguson takes 'dim view' of Prince Andrew's 'odd Royal Lodge game'

Prince Andrew plays a strange game with the staff at Royal Lodge that his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson takes a "dim view" of, it has been reported. The Duke's "lifelong teddy bear obsession" has resurfaced following the release of an explosive new biography by historian Andrew Lownie, titled 'The Rise and Fall of the House of York'.

In 2022, a curious tale emerged regarding the embattled prince's alleged collection of 50 to 60 teddy bears. A former royal protection officer even claimed that Andrew would "scream and shout" if his staff failed to carry out a particular duty involving the toys.

Speaking in the ITV documentary 'Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile', ex-protection officer Paul Page alleged that the Duke would fly into a rage if his servants didn't position them correctly at Buckingham Palace.

A handwritten guide also provided glimpses into his collection, which reportedly featured bears, a panther, hippos and three cushions bearing the peculiar names 'Daddy', 'Ducks' and 'Prince'.

However, it wasn't merely a list but contained instructions on where to position blankets, a fur, and five toys. According to the Mail's Ephraim Hardcastle, the Duke's fascination with toy animals doesn't end there.

A Palace source revealed to the Mail: "When he lived at Buck House he'd also hide his toy monkey in unlikely places to test whether cleaning staff would spot it...woe betide them if they didn't."

The insider revealed: "Staff at Royal Lodge still have to play Prince Andrew's game - unless Sarah is resident. She takes a dim view of it."

Prince Andrew, who stepped back from royal duties in 2019 following his disastrous Newsnight interview, has been embroiled in a series of scandals in recent years. These include his connections to an alleged Chinese spy, his residency at Royal Lodge and ties to the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke has vehemently denied any misconduct during his association with Epstein, while the alleged spy, Yang Tengbo, requested that his anonymity be lifted and insisted that the spy claim was "entirely untrue".

Earlier this week, amidst allegations detailed in Lownie's explosive book, the Duke was spotted out for a walk. As images of this outing emerged, body language expert Judi James shared her insights.

After analysing the photos, she suggested that it was "less about" what's changed in Andrew's body language, but more about what's "missing". She also observed that Andrew seemed to have lost his "rounded-eyed, haunted expression".

Judi went on to say that the Duke's frown had "melted slightly" and his expression lacked any obvious signs of tension. Alleging that he was known for "looks of haughty arrogance", Judi pointed out that he now looks "less immersed" in "signals of status and entitlement".

Judi noted: "His mouth is closed but his lips aren't clamped, and his shoulders look relatively relaxed. One pic like this might not capture his current mood in its entirety but it might hint at a more philosophical and less defiant approach now."

A representative for Sarah Ferguson declined to comment.