The Duke of York is on a mission to upgrade the Wi-Fi at Buckingham Palace in an effort to modernise The Royal Family.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, Prince Andrew revealed that thanks to him, a ban on mobile phones had been lifted and he has been an advocate of a greater Wi-Fi capability.
When asked how he has modernised The Royal Family, he said: “In trying to drive the technology that is available in palaces, you would have noticed that at St James’s Palace there’s no restriction on using your mobile phone.”
He added that he is “very proud” of placing “a very big white piece of masking tape” over the no mobile phones signs at Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace.
He said: “We’re going to upgrade the wi-fi capability over the next couple of months because we’re finding that what we’re doing means we need more power and more data capability.”
The Prince also opened up about his own gaffe-prone reputation, as he is no stranger to controversy.
Recently, the sixth-in-line to the throne was criticised for hosting a birthday party at Buckingham Palace for David and Victoria Beckham’s youngest child. He was further scrutinised after giving disgraced actor Kevin Spacey a tour of the Palace, in which Spacey allegedly sat on The Queen’s throne.
Responding to criticism, Andrew said: “Everything we do is focused on the outcomes for other people. It’s not about whether it’s useful for me or not. Everybody should be given an opportunity. Sometimes you find that somebody’s done something after the event, or you find that perhaps that wasn’t quite as wise.
You don’t get it right all the time. You just have to get on with it. It doesn’t bother me, really. It’s just part of life’s rich tapestry.”
You can read the full interview with the Duke of York in today’s edition of The Sunday Times Magazine where he talks about his role in The Royal Family going forwards, Brexit and Pitch@Palace.
I like Andrew, he avoids gossip and makes no excuses for what he’s about and lives well within the parameters of his life with comfort. Good for him and his family.