Business reporter Ben King shared a report from Getty Images about Doug Barrowman, who was pictured with his wife Michelle Mone. According to the BBC, one of Prince Andrew’s prized business assets, Pitch@Palace Global, was managed for two years by a company controlled by the controversial millionaire Doug Barrowman. The ownership of the start-up competition was transferred to Knox House Trustees (UK), a firm linked to Barrowman, after the prince’s infamous Newsnight interview in 2019.
Barrowman, along with his wife, Michelle Mone, faced scrutiny when it was revealed that they had misled about their connections to a company that secured significant government contracts during the Covid pandemic. A lawyer for Barrowman stated that he had no business or personal involvement with the duke at any point.
Despite Pitch@Palace Global remaining under the prince’s control, it was owned by other individuals or entities, acting as “nominees” on his behalf. Documents filed at Companies House indicated that from 2021, Knox House Trustees (UK), under the control and ownership of Barrowman, was the nominee owner until 2023.
The prince’s financial affairs have been closely examined, especially after being financially cut off by his brother, King Charles, and still residing in his Royal Lodge mansion. His choice of business partners has been a subject of controversy, including his association with Yang Tengbo, who was accused of being a spy by the UK government.
Barrowman, too, has had his share of controversies, including an investigation by HMRC into one of his companies for promoting tax avoidance schemes. Additionally, his links with PPE Medpro, which he initially denied, have now come under scrutiny by the National Crime Agency for suspected criminal offenses.
Author Andrew Lownie, who is working on a biography of the prince, emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the duke’s financial dealings, citing a history of questionable business associations and the use of nominee and offshore accounts to conceal activities.
Pitch@Palace, founded in 2014, was a start-up competition where entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to potential investors. It had both a UK-based version and an international arm, Pitch@Palace Global Ltd. Following the prince’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein and subsequent resignation as a working royal, operations of both arms were suspended.
Despite the suspension, the international arm of Pitch@Palace emerged as a potential source of funding for Prince Andrew. Talks of a Dutch company acquiring it were underway, citing the network’s significant value. However, the prince had never held the company in his own name.
Initially held in the name of Amanda Thirsk, the prince’s private secretary, legal ownership of Pitch@Palace Global Ltd was later transferred to Knox House Trustees (UK) Limited, ultimately owned by Barrowman. Subsequently, Arthur Lancaster took over ownership of Knox House Trustees (UK) Ltd and PPE Medpro, with whom he has a longstanding working relationship.
The Royal Family has a history of holding investments through nominees, including Prince Andrew’s involvement in Pitch@Palace Global. Despite efforts to maintain privacy, details of the prince’s association with the company are publicly available. Barrowman’s lawyer clarified that Lancaster acted on behalf of the duke and had been a longtime associate.
Prince Andrew and Barrowman declined to comment on the matter, leaving lingering questions about the financial activities and associations of the duke.
