Leaked papers show Prince Andrew requested £200,000 from tax haven tycoons to fix up Queen's chapel

Leaked documents revealed that Prince Andrew sought a loan from tax haven tycoons to finance the repair of a property at Queen Elizabeth II's private estate at Windsor.

As per the documents, the Duke of York had requested £200,000 from Jonathan Rowland, chief executive of Banque Havilland, to fix the Royal Chapel of All Saints, which stands on the grounds of his stately home Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Rowland, whose family controls the controversial bank based in Luxembourg told the British royal that he was sure "we can help on good terms," reports Mail Online.

The royal has been questioned about his relations with Jonathan Rowland and his father David Rowland, a property tycoon and a major Tory Party donor, ever since a previous report in the newspaper in December 2019 exposed their financial dealings. In 2017, David had paid off a £1.5 million loan for Andrew that he had borrowed from the bank, and also paid £40,000 to help clear the debts amassed by the Duke's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Four months before that, the royal had taken the financier to his mother's Scottish estate in Balmoral, where he reportedly met the British monarch and Prince Charles.

A year later, the Rowlands' bank was fined €4 million for not having safeguards to protect against money laundering. David was announced as the Tory party's treasurer in 2010, but had to quit before starting the job after it emerged that he had been living as a tax exile in Guernsey.

The report also claimed the Duke was secretly promoting Rowlands' bank and plugged it while on official trade missions intended to promote UK business. The royal, who was known as "Client X" by the bank's staff, also allowed the family to hold meetings in his official trade tours so they could expand Banque Havilland and woo more wealthy clients.

The new documents confirm that Andrew also sought money from the Rowlands to pay for repairs for the chapel. In an email to Jonathan Rowland, he requested a four-year loan, noting that it's going to be "difficult" to raise the cash from the church's "small" congregation and friends to get it done in time.

The message read, "I need to facilitate a loan of £200k for more work on my chapel in the garden of RL. I would like to know what you can do for me and what it would cost me to take a loan for £200k paid back over four years?" The reply from Jonathan read, "OK. Come back to you. Sure we can help on good terms."

The chapel, located less than 100 yards from his residence, acts as an informal parish church for residents and staff of Windsor Great Park. The queen also worships there whenever she takes up residence at Windsor Castle. It was also the venue of his daughter Princess Beatrice's wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in July last year. The chapel's altar was also the resting place for his grandmother, popularly known as the Queen Mother, before her coffin was taken to London for her state funeral.

His spokesperson refused to confirm whether Andrew had received the loan from Rowlands or paid it back. Buckingham Palace also refused to comment on the matter. However, palace sources clarified that no building work has been carried out on the chapel since the conversation between Andrew and Jonathan, adding that the last work at the chapel took place in 2008.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Banque Havilland said, "The bank can confirm it has not and does not make loans on chapels. The bank categorically denies any wrongdoing."