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Prince Andrew ordered his royal protection officers to fetch golf balls as he practised his swing in gardens behind Buckingham Palace.
The elite officers of SO14 would be required to act as ball boys for the golf fanatic who has a handicap of six and was elected captain of the R&A, the sport's governing body, in 2002.
Andrew is also said to have ordered those guarding him to walk on the grass outside because the crunching of the gravel outside his bedroom window kept him awake.
The revelations came in documents presented in court during the trial of former royal protection officer Pc Paul Page, who was convicted of a multi-million-pound fraud today.
Page told the jury at Southwark crown court that the officers of SO14 were looked down upon by the royal family. He also claimed that the Queen has a yellow rubber duck for her bath which has a crown painted on it.
In other evidence during the trial he revealed a culture of idleness, gambling and drunkenness among royal protection officers at the palace.
He said: "It's an easy life. You're told not to get involved in crime on the outside, you're there to protect the royal family.
"You're not police officers any more. You didn't work for a living, that's the bottom line. You've got time to study.
"There was an officer and he did sell porn. He used to get it from Holland, bring it back and sell it to officers while on duty. Everyone knew about it but no one would say anything.
"You had officers running poker games for money in downtime. If people want to do that that's fair enough, but senior officers let it go. People would go to sleep on post.
"I did it, I'm not going to sit here and deny it. Officers would turn up drunk, I've turned up with a hangover."
He told the court: "Officers in the command are earning £50,000-£60,000 per year with overtime for doing very little. The money was thrown at you because the security level had to be kept up.
"I shouldn't be saying what I'm saying, but it has to be done. I need you to understand the culture."
Reader views (1)
As a tax payer I resent funding the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by air miles Andy and his parasitic daughters. If he considers Beatrice and Eugenie need protection then he must be made seek gainful employment and pay for private protection officers out of his own pocket.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 17/07/2009 21:15
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