CHRISTOPER WILSON: Just when we're back in love with the royals, that spoilt oaf Andrew tries to wreck it By Christopher Wilson Were he a politician, the Duke of York would find himself in considerable difficulty this morning. His intemperate outburst to police officers who, after all, were only doing their job brings to mind the Plebgate row which swept the Government's chief whip Andrew Mitchell from office just a year ago. But here's the difference: Mitchell swore at officers and paid with his career. Prince Andrew did very much the same - and instead received a cringing apology from Scotland Yard. Prince Andrew is awfully fond of the 'F' word, and very prone to flying off the handle at the slightest provocation. The tragedy is that his high-handedness does nothing to help the image of the Royal Family The incident highlights the huge gulf which remains between ordinary mortals and members of the Royal Family, and serves as an important reminder as to just how far a figure like the Duke can go without the risk of official censure. Aloof It's not as if it hasn't happened before. Last week's unfortunate dressing down of police protection officers who mistook him for an intruder at Buckingham Palace was an all-too-familiar scenario to those who work behind palace walls. Former royal protection officer Paul Page, for example, recalled in 2009 the evening he spotted a scruffy male figure on the CCTV screen he was monitoring. He was wandering around the corridor near the Queen's private apartments, and Page and other armed officers were urgently sent to investigate. The "intruder" turned out to be Andrew in T-shirt and jeans, but before the situation could be explained away, he turned on the officers: "This is my f***ing house, I can go where I want. Now f*** off! Last week's unfortunate dressing down of police protection officers who mistook him for an intruder at Buckingham Palace was an all-too-familiar scenario to those who work behind palace walls Whether the Gordonstoun-educated, fifth-in-line to the throne was as robust when he ticked off officers after last week's encounter in the palace gardens, we do not yet know. But he is awfully fond of the "F" word, and very prone to flying off the handle at the slightest provocation. The tragedy is that his high-handedness does nothing to help the image of the Royal Family at a time when it is riding so high in popular opinion. The Queen and Prince Philip's popularity soared during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year as we were reminded so forcefully of their stoicism and sense of duty. William, Kate and young Prince George - along with his uncle Harry - represent a highly popular modern monarchy which once more seems at ease with itself after the dark years in the run-up to Diana's death and its aftermath. Even Charles and Camilla, now doting grandparents, of course, have found general acceptance, though it's taken eight years of their being married. As for the rest of them - including the immensely hard-working Princess Anne and the reliable if unglamorous Prince Edward - they are, by and large, out of the spotlight. It is Andrew alone who manages to remind us of the days when the monarchy was considered aloof, out of touch, uncaring. The litany of hurts and snubs caused by the thoughtlessness and self-centredness of the Queen's second son is as famous as it is endless. As Trade Ambassador, his inappropriate diplomatic behaviour caused serious concern back home An undercover tabloid reporter, who some years ago infiltrated Buckingham Palace to get a job as a footman, found that the servants tasked with opening the royal curtains each morning in the Prince's bedroom were invariably greeted with a testy "f*** off." To Andrew, it would appear, rudeness is a way of life - whether you are high-born or from below stairs. On one occasion, Margaret Thatcher's deputy prime minister Willie Whitelaw engaged him amiably in conversation only to report later: "He talked to me as if I was his blasted caddy!" Meanwhile, a humble Kensington Palace chef, Darren McGrady, contrasted the manners of Andrew with his nephew, Harry. "Harry had been taught to say "please may I have . . .," whereas Andrew would simply bark: "Where are my mangoes? I want my mangoes!" " Only this week, former royal bodyguard Ken Wharfe claimed he was ushered out of his seat on a plane flying from Balmoral. Wharfe believed it was simply because the Prince wanted to look out of the window. "His manners are just awful, and his behaviour and attitude do not endear him to everybody," said Wharfe. On a personal level, this is infuriating and demeaning. But when it reaches international proportions, as it has, it damages Britain's interests abroad. Sir Ivor Roberts, former UK Ambassador to Italy, broke diplomatic ranks in 2011 to warn of the dangers in allowing Andrew to roam the world as this country's Trade Ambassador. "He has that rather unfortunate manner of being brusque to the point of rudeness," observed Sir Ivor. He recalled an official tour of Italy that Andrew did in 2004, when the all-important head of a Milan fashion house was introduced to the royal presence. "Never heard of you," dismissed our representative abroad, before turning rudely away. Sir Ivor commented grimly: "I would never have thought of him as the natural choice to be trade envoy in the first place. If the net result is negative, you wonder whether he should be in that position. Andrew relinquished - slowly, and extremely reluctantly - the trappings of his Trade Ambassador role when he resigned from it in 2011. He'd held the post for ten years, elbowing aside his mother's cousin, the Duke of Kent (who would have been perfectly happy to soldier on), after leaving the Royal Navy. The apparent reason for Andrew's early retirement was the exposure of his close association with a convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution. Described by some as 'the Queen's favourite son', it has not stopped Prince Andrew from causing Her Majesty embarrassment with his choice of friends, both business and social, and his questionable behaviour Concern But it went deeper than that: the Duke's inappropriate diplomatic behaviour was causing serious concern back home. Neither his choice of friends, nor his behaviour, looked good in the eyes of the world. Tatiana Gfoeller, Washington's ambassador to the former Russian state of Kyrgyzstan, revealed in a confidential telegram that Andrew had spoken "cockily" at a public meeting of businessmen there. Despite this, months after his resignation Andrew was still to be found circumnavigating the globe - it seemed that no one could find a way of stopping him glad-handing his Arab and Kazakhstani playmates. Hasty excuses were given by officials as to why he refused to give up his travels after being told to stop, one adding as an aside: "Being who he is, what Andrew wants, Andrew gets." The Duke of York is now 53. Described by some as "the Queen's favourite son," it has not stopped him from causing Her Majesty embarrassment with his choice of friends, both business and social, and his questionable behaviour. The protection officer Paul Page recalled two girls, one black and one white, clad in short skirts, high heels and plunging tops, being swept into Buckingham Palace one night for a "meeting" with Andrew. An hour later, they were swept out again, their business concluded. Yet there appears to be no way of controlling this loose cannon - certainly no one in Parliament dares speak up. Silenced When the lone voice of former foreign minister Chris Bryant asked in the Commons in 2011: "Isn't it time we dispensed with the services of the Duke of York?," he was silenced by the Speaker, John Bercow. "References to members of the Royal Family should be very rare, very sparing and very respectful," the Speaker said. We have to be very careful in our handling of these matters. Do we? Last week's kerfuffle at Buckingham Palace was surely a reminder of the wisdom of constantly monitoring how the Royal Family is doing. Prince Andrew has never quite come to terms with the fact that once, but for a heartbeat, the throne might have been his. He used to be second in the line of succession. Now he is fifth, and destined to slide ever further into the shadows as the new generation of William and Harry pile on the heirs and spares. Last year, after the thanksgiving service to end the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, Andrew was decidedly po-faced over Charles's plans for a slimmed-down monarchy, which meant he was not invited to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Only the Queen, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and Harry were there, while Andrew stormed home to Royal Lodge, Windsor, in a sulk. Alone down in Windsor (though with the egregious Fergie not very far away), Andrew may pause and wonder where it all went wrong - but it's unlikely. He is not a man given to introspection any more than he's a man who ever understood the meaning of "noblesse obligé."