A set of aviation gloves worn by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor during his helicopter duties in the Falklands conflict in 1982 did not receive any bids at an auction. The leather gloves, signed by Mountbatten Windsor and still bearing dirt from the operations over 40 years ago, were estimated to be worth between £1,000 and £2,000 but failed to meet the undisclosed reserve price at Reeman Dansie in Colchester, Essex. These gloves were purchased by the original buyer over four decades ago after being donated by the prince to a charity auction post-war.
The auctioneer, James Grinter, highlighted the visible wear on the gloves from Mountbatten Windsor’s time in the cockpit. He suggested that the gloves could have fetched a substantial sum if not for the ongoing investigations and allegations of misconduct surrounding the former prince. Grinter expressed that during the Falklands War, Mountbatten Windsor was well-regarded and popular, and his current situation of disgrace would have been unimaginable at that time.
Mountbatten Windsor is currently under investigation by Thames Valley Police, who arrested him on his 66th birthday in February on suspicion of public office misconduct. The arrest was a result of accusations claiming that he provided confidential information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK trade envoy in the early 2000s, allegations which Mountbatten Windsor denies.
The auctioneer, Grinter, attributed the lack of interest in the gloves to Mountbatten Windsor’s tarnished reputation due to the ongoing scandal. In contrast, a letter penned by Princess Diana after her Panorama interview fetched £5,330 at the same auction.
Mountbatten Windsor served with 820 Naval Air Squadron on HMS Invincible during the Falklands conflict, undertaking various helicopter missions. Despite being described as an excellent pilot and promising officer by Cdr Nigel Ward, he was stripped of his royal titles in October, leading to the removal of his name from commemorative plaques in the Falkland Islands.