OK! Exposes Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's 'Disgusting' Habit That Left Their Flunkies 'Sickened'

OK! can reveal former royal butler Paul Burrell has lifted the lid on what he has branded Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's disgusting early-marriage habit – as shamed ex-duke Andrew faces fresh humiliation following his arrest in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Burrell, 67, an ex-manservant who tended to Queen Elizabeth II and later became a confidant of Princess Diana's, makes the revelation in his memoir The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess.

His account resurfaces as Andrew, 66 – previously known as Prince Andrew – was arrested on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office by Thames Valley police.

Officers searched Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate and his former residence, Royal Lodge in Windsor. He was questioned for nearly 12 hours before being released under investigation.

The arrest relates to allegations he shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as a U.K. trade envoy.

Against that backdrop, Burrell's book paints a bleak picture of domestic excess during 65-year-old Andrew's early marriage to Ferguson, 66.

In his memoir, Burrell claimed Andrew was "besotted" by his then-new wife, who the former prince felt could "do no wrong."

He wrote: "But the staff were up in arms early in the marriage. From the beginning, the royal newlyweds refused to leave their martial bed."

Burrell continued: "The maids weren't allowed to go into the bedroom to make the bed for days. When the couple did surface, they held lavish dinner, lunch and tea parties with all their friends."

According to Burrell, the disruption to palace routine caused fury among household staff accustomed to rigid schedules.

He added: "The kitchen staff were run off their feet. Even the Queen didn't entertain so extravagantly. The royal chefs were furious to be making food like it was an á la carte restaurant."

Burrell also said: "They were used to serving food to the Queen and the Royal Family at set times. It was too much. The staff rebelled and protests were made to the Master of the Household who informed the Queen of her staff's unhappiness."

"She had to intervene and put a stop to the lavish gluttony. After all, she despised waste, deciding in advance which food should be cooked for her each day. So why should Andrew and Fergie be different?" he continued.

A former palace aide said the couple's behavior was viewed as "indulgent, disgusting and tone-deaf," adding it left the pair's former team of flunkies "sickened."

They told us: "There was a sense that rules applied to everyone else but not to them. Staff felt exhausted and disrespected. It created resentment very quickly."

Burrell also described Andrew as "never easy" to work with, suggesting tensions extended beyond entertaining habits.

In another passage of his latest royal book, he referenced a drinking culture within palace walls, writing: "Forget Buckingham Palace, it was nicknamed 'Gin Palace' after the spirit that flowed freely through the everyday workings of the building. Gin, always, Gordon's, was the drink of choice."

The resurfacing of the claims comes as Andrew faces intensifying scrutiny.

The family of Epstein s-- trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre's said his arrest showed "no one is above the law."

Maria Farmer, one of Epstein's accusers, added: "Today is just the beginning of accountability and justice brought forth by Virginia Roberts Giuffre – a young mother who adored her daughter so deeply, she fought the most powerful on earth to protect her. She did this for everyone's daughters. Let's now demand all the dominos of power and corruption begin to fall."

King Charles, 77, expressed his "deepest concern" over his brother's case and said "the law must take its course." Donald Trump, 79, called Andrew's arrest "a shame" and "a very sad thing."

As the police probe into Andrew continues, Burrell's recollections add to a portrait of entitlement and excess that critics say has long dogged the former duke – which is now compounded by the gravest allegations of his public life.