Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was deliberately "not offered golfing functions" on foreign trips during his time as trade envoy.
Historic files released by the British government on Thursday revealed that efforts were deliberately made to prevent the former prince from being offered such opportunities during his overseas engagements.
A letter penned by Kathryn Colvin, the Foreign Office's head of protocol at the time, dated January 25, 2000, disclosed the specific request from Andrew's principal private secretary, Captain Neil Blair.
"Captain Blair particularly asked that the Duke of York should not be offered golfing functions abroad," Ms Colvin wrote.
"This was a private activity and if he took his clubs with him he would not play in any public sense."
Andrew's passion for golf was well documented, with his membership at the prestigious Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in Fife dating back to 1992.
He made history as the first member of the royal family to serve on one of the club's committees, sitting on the amateur status committee between 1999 and 2003.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather King George VI, Andrew assumed the role of royal captain from 2003 to 2004, becoming the sixth monarch to hold the distinguished position.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was deliberately 'not offered golfing functions' on foreign trips during his time as trade envoy
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At the time, he described the appointment as a "dream come true".
However, in 2022, Andrew surrendered his honorary membership at the storied institution following his multimillion-pound settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a woman he maintains he has never met.
The note, titled "Duke of York's travel", was made public today alongside a collection of files concerning Andrew's trade envoy appointment.
In the documents, Ms Colvin said the former Duke of York "tended to prefer the more sophisticated countries".
"Captain Blair said that The Duke of York was particularly good on high-tech matters, trade, youth (including primary schools and outward bound projects), cultural events, with a preference for ballet rather than theatre, the Commonwealth and military and foreign affairs," she wrote.
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was a trade envoy between 2001 and 2011 | GETTY"He tended to prefer the more sophisticated countries, particularly those in the lead on technology."
Andrew is said to have "liked travelling, especially when on royal business, as opposed to MoD [Ministry of Defence] business".
An arrangement had been established with the Royal Navy stipulating that Andrew would dedicate 80 per cent of his time to naval responsibilities, with the remaining 20 per cent allocated to royal engagements both domestically and abroad.
Ms Colvin observed that his UK-based royal duties typically occurred during lunch hours and evenings, thereby avoiding any encroachment on his Navy commitments.
Andrew was subsequently appointed as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment in 2001, a position that afforded him access to senior government and business figures across the globe.
He received no salary for the role but faced criticism over the substantial expenses and travel costs incurred.
A decade later, he relinquished the position amid mounting controversy surrounding his association with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
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