“All they have ever done is stand by their parents in the most horrific public circumstances,” a source close to the princesses told The Daily Beast’s Tom Sykes.
“I don’t think it’s fair to criticise them for [their parents],” said the source.
“They’re sweet girls who understand that they are immensely privileged, and have always been grateful for the privilege they’ve had, and have tried to use it to do the right thing.”
The insider added that the monarchy doesn’t support either of the sisters outside of supplying them both with homes inside the palace, which are paid for by King Charles.
“They were told to get jobs by the firm and they did that, so it seems unfair to attack them for making money,” the source added.
The book attempts to uncover when Andrew became “obsessed with women”, pinpointing it back to his premature sexual experiences.
According to a chapter titled Randy Andy, the prince had his first sexual experience aged just 8.
A source said: “He admitted that his second sexual experience came before he turned 12 and when he was 13 he had already slept with more than half-a-dozen girls.”
Another unnamed source who knows the prince added to The Daily Telegraph they were, indeed, aware of Andrew’s “sexual experiences at what most of us would consider as too young an age”.
“The duke’s personal story is far more complex than people realise or have ever been prepared to properly consider,” the source went on.
Lownie wrote of his decision to include the unsavoury claim in his book, arguing: “It seemed to me it was part of building a picture of behaviour, and how it shaped his life.
“It does perhaps explain some of the behaviour later on.
“I think he [Andrew], in some ways, has been a victim. It does make him much more sympathetic, in a way.”
