The financial ties between King Charles III and his brother Prince Andrew have been severed.
Prince Andrew has lost his £1 million personal allowance and private security funding, as decided by King Charles III amid ongoing controversies, Fox News reported.
According to British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard, the decision was influenced by Prince Andrew's refusal to vacate the Royal Lodge. King Charles hopes that ending these allowances will encourage Prince Andrew to reconsider his living arrangements.
Prince Andrew currently resides at the Royal Lodge with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. This estate has been his home since 2004 after securing a 75-year lease in the previous year. The upkeep of this 31-room residence costs approximately $503,000 annually. Despite the significant public and familial pressure, Prince Andrew insists on staying put.
With an estimated value of $38 million, Royal Lodge has been at the heart of the issue for King Charles, who has expressly voiced concerns regarding the negative image that Prince Andrew’s presence at such a lavish property projects, especially given his tarnished public image.
Here is Helena Chard's perspective on King Charles's decision:
King Charles realizes that Prince Andrew living in Royal Lodge is not a good look. Prince Andrew’s reputation is at an all-time low. He lost the respect of the nation. And yet, his ego is at an all-time high. He does not see sense. He has dug his heels and refuses to leave the home he loves, the prestigious Royal Lodge.
By halting the financial inflows to Prince Andrew, King Charles appears to be pushing his brother towards a change of residence. The king has proposed Frogmore Cottage as an alternate residence, which has been vacant for more than a year following the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The monarchy’s finance department previously directed an allowance of £1 million to support not only Prince Andrew’s living standards but also his private security arrangements. The monarchy now views this financial blockade as an implicit method to rehabilitate its image and emphasize the consequences of not adhering to expected royal conduct.
Prince Andrew's affiliations with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, have notably damaged his public image and standing within the royal family. After the exposure of his ties to Epstein, Prince Andrew withdrew from his royal duties in 2019.
In 2020, Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew, asserting he sexually exploited her in 2001 when she was only 17. Although Prince Andrew denied these allegations, the lawsuit nevertheless prompted significant outcry and ultimately resulted in a settlement in 2022, which included a donation to Giuffre’s charity.
Furthermore, the case and the associations it invoked have intensified scrutiny on Prince Andrew, propelling King Charles III to take steps that clearly signal a distancing of the monarchy from Prince Andrew’s controversies.
Moreover, this decision is not just about a residence or financial support; rather, it reflects the ongoing strategy by the royal family to maintain its prestige in challenging times. Overall, Charles’s actions speak volumes about the necessity for members of the royal family to uphold certain ethical standards and maintain a positive public image.
King Charles III’s decision to cut financial and security support for Prince Andrew marks a notable shift in royal family dynamics, emphasizing accountability and the weight of public perception in royal affairs. The complexities of family and public duty continue to intertwine as the monarchy navigates through these turbulent times.
