Royal Disgrace Prince Andrew Determined to 'Win Back' His Taxpayer-Funded Security
Prince Andrew feels unsafe and wants Britain's Home Office to reinstate his taxpayer-funded security, despite no longer working for the Crown.
"It is disappointing that this correspondence has been leaked into the public domain, and I apologize to His Majesty for the embarrassment and difficulties the publishing of this correspondence has caused," former U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel told an outlet after her suggestions to Buckingham Palace for Andrew's security were leaked.
The eighth in line to the throne's royal protection was said to cost roughly 3 million pounds per year back when he received the assistance. Although "royal protection is always kept under review" by the government, Priti's statement directly mentioning King Charles III is a telling detail.
The Duke of York lost his government-provided protection once he stopped using his HRH style and ceased working for the monarchy in 2019. All of this stemmed from his explosive BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in November of that year, where the prince addressed sexual assault allegations from Virginia Giuffre.
Queen Elizabeth II's son was also grilled about his longtime friendship with deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein during the interviewer's probing questions. The Duke's fumbling of his answers to the questions and the severity of his pubic disclosures left the Queen with no choice but to remove him from royal life completely.
This arrangement has continued under the reign of his elder brother, and commentators have consistently suggested that the monarch wishes the issue would just go away.
"The King will be deeply embarrassed by this — the issue is so controversial he won't go anywhere near it. Ms Patel should have known he has no power over these decisions," royal expert Ingrid Seward dished. "Her meddling was deeply unwise and deeply unfair on The King — and will damage Andrew's cause, not help it."
This news comes amid an ongoing feud Charles III is mired down in with his brother. The King is said to want Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, out of the opulent Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. The Sovereign finds it "wasteful," as its two occupants do not even work for the monarchy.
Daily Mail reported on Priti Patel's comments.