A set of aviation gloves worn by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor during helicopter missions in the Falklands conflict in 1982 did not receive any bids at auction. The pale leather gloves, signed by Andrew, still bear traces of dirt from the war over 40 years ago. Expected to fetch between £1,000 and £2,000, the gloves remained unsold at the Reeman Dansie auction in Colchester, Essex. Originally donated by Andrew to a charity sale after the conflict, the gloves were held by their buyer for more than four decades.
Auctioneer James Grinter highlighted the wear and tear on the gloves from Andrew’s time in the cockpit. He suggested that the gloves could have commanded a significant price if not for the controversies surrounding Andrew and ongoing investigations into his conduct. Andrew, who served with 820 Naval Air Squadron during the Falklands War, was arrested by Thames Valley Police on his birthday in February for suspected misconduct in public office. Allegations claim he shared confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy in the early 2000s, which Andrew denies.
As the investigation widens to include allegations of sexual misconduct and corruption, the auctioneer attributed the lack of interest in the gloves to Andrew’s tarnished reputation. In contrast, a letter penned by Princess Diana post her Panorama interview fetched £5,330 at the same auction. Andrew’s service aboard HMS Invincible during the conflict, where he piloted Sea King helicopters for various missions, earned him praise as an excellent pilot and promising officer. Despite his royal titles being stripped in October, Andrew’s name remains absent from commemorative plaques in the Falkland Islands.
