IN LONDON

The author of an explosive new biography on Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson has claimed there’s a “very good chance” Andrew could end up in prison if charged, as scandal continues to swirl around him.

Andrew Lownie, who penned Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, told the UK’s TalkTV on Tuesday that the fallout over Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are far from over – and that the royal family will “throw him under the bus” as their reputation is impacted.

“I do think the authorities will want to pursue some of these investigations,” he told the program.

“I think if they [bring charges] there is a very good chance that he may well go to prison.”

Mr Lownie also alleged that during Andrew’s time working in an official capacity, he abused the privileges afforded to him.

“Just the brazenness, the sense that he could get away with this,” he claimed.

“He would go on an official visit to Thailand, paid for by the taxpayer, and he would bring his mistress with him to sit in the car at official functions. He would go through 40 prostitutes in four days.

“Clearly there were a lot of people enabling him and protecting him and that included, I’m afraid, the Queen. This problem should’ve been dealt with years ago. The Palace only have themselves to blame.”

Andrew has been embroiled in a fresh scandal in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, a private note sent from Andrew to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein emerged, in which he promised they’d “play some more soon” and were “in this together”. It suggested the Prince and Epstein were in contact with one another even after Andrew claimed he had told the disgraced financier he had to cut off their friendship.

The prince’s sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre has released a memoir, Nobody’s Girl, which detailed her alleged sexual encounters with Andrew – one of which she claimed happened when she was just 17 years old.

Andrew has always vehemently denied all wrongdoing.

An email sent from Sarah to Epstein also recently emerged, calling him a “supreme friend” and “humbly” apologising for publicly condemning him in the wake of his conviction.

Following the publication of the email’s contents recently, a spokesman for Sarah stated that they had been sent to avoid a defamation suit by Epstein.

However, she was still dropped by a slew of charities, many of whom she’d worked with for years.

As public pressure intensified earlier this month, Andrew released a bombshell statement via the Palace announcing he was giving up the use of his “Duke of York” title in order to no longer “distract” from the important work of the monarchy. Sarah also relinquished the use of “Duchess of York”.

The statement has done little to quell the public calls for further action, with many demanding Andrew be forced to give up the 30-room Royal Lodge where he currently lives with his ex-wife.

However, according to UK newspaper The Sun, Andrew has issued an ultimatum to his brother and royal aides as pressure mounts regarding his living arrangements. He is reportedly demanding the use of two nearby Windsor royal properties: Adelaide Cottage, which is about to be vacated by Prince William and Kate, and Prince Harry and Meghan’s former UK base, Frogmore Cottage.

It’s understood that he and Sarah – who have lived together since 2008 – want two properties as they are planning to now live apart.

The demand, as former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told UK newspaper The Mirror, “beggars belief”.

“I think it would be a serious mistake if the King and the Palace agreed to such a brazen demand,” she said.

“You have to ask yourself whether Andrew and Sarah are completely deaf to public opinion. “There is genuine outrage from the public and, indeed several prominent members of parliament about the fact that they have lied about their friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

“And yet they seem to think they are entitled to not just one, but two, magnificent homes in the extremely royal surroundings of Windsor Great Park, almost in the shadow of the Castle itself.

“It is an audacious demand — and one that the Palace should outright reject. Andrew and Sarah are grown-ups with their own money and resources. They should be made to fend for themselves and not rely on the King and the goodwill of the Crown Estate.”

Andrew has lived at the 30-room Windsor Great Park home since 2004, and he has a lease which could technically keep him there until 2078.