King Charles Urged to Cut Off Prince Andrew's Allowance Amid Legal Victory
Royal editor Richard Eden questions Buckingham Palace's assurance that Prince Andrew's £1 million annual allowance is not funding his legal challenges.
Prince Andrew's recent High Court victory against Thames Valley Police has reignited calls for King Charles to cease funding his disgraced brother. The warrants used to search Andrew's properties were successfully challenged in a private hearing, leading the police to concede they relied on an incorrect legal provision. The court will later decide whether to return seized materials to the former prince.
Despite the legal win, which royal commentators deemed 'embarrassing' for the police, it was argued that the outcome does little to aid Andrew's public image or impede potential criminal investigations. Buckingham Palace has maintained that Prince Andrew's reported £1 million annual allowance from King Charles is not being used to finance his legal battles.
However, Richard Eden, Diary Editor at the Daily Mail, expressed skepticism regarding the Palace's assurance. "Andrew can do what he likes with [his allowance]," Eden stated on the Palace Confidential program. He questioned the source of Andrew's funding for legal actions, which are notoriously expensive, if not from his brother's allowance. "The only way to ensure it's not paying for the disgraced royal's legal battles is for King Charles to cut his brother off," Eden argued.
Royal Editor Rebecca English reported receiving no definitive or satisfactory answer from Buckingham Palace when inquiring about the use of the King's funds for Andrew's legal challenges. Royal correspondent Robert Hardman offered a different perspective, suggesting that a significant portion of Andrew's allowance likely covers security costs. Hardman advised that Andrew must be judicious with his spending, as further scandals could test the King's patience. He also noted that the King retains the ability to audit Andrew's spending and "turn off the taps."
Prince Andrew was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He faces allegations of sharing government information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK's trade envoy. He was released under investigation and has not been charged, denying any wrongdoing. Andrew's legal team has been assembling resources to contest allegations, including a previous legal case against Virginia Giuffre that was settled out of court.