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A royal insider has spoken out about the situation concerning the former Duke of York
Former prince Andrew is reportedly becoming “increasingly anxious” about his ability to cover his legal costs after the King informed him he must shoulder the expenses himself, according to royal insiders. The former Duke of York has been laying low since his arrest last month by Thames Valley police detectives investigating allegations of misconduct in a public office.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, who was released pending investigation after an 11-hour interview, has not received any indication as to whether he will be required to return for further questioning.
A royal insider said: “The financial burden on him, having to attend interviews and take the relevant advice are a huge concern for him and one which he is growing increasingly anxious about. The King has made clear that Andrew is now a private citizen and must meet the relevant costs on his own”, reports the Mirror.
However, it is suggested that while the King has privately asserted that no taxpayer funds would be utilised, he may find himself in the “uncomfortable position” of feeling compelled to help his brother.
The source added: “Much like the King has supplemented Andrew’s living arrangements by housing him on his private estate in Norfolk, if he (Andrew) could not pay his legal fees then the King may find himself in the rather uncomfortable position of being asked to pay for them privately.”
When the former Duke of York was detained by Thames Valley police on February 19 – coinciding with his 66th birthday – the King released a statement declaring that “the law must take its course” while conveying his “deepest concern” regarding the arrest, which followed the US Department of Justice’s release of millions of documents connected to the Epstein scandal.
The former prince became the first senior member of the Royal Family in modern times to face arrest in almost 400 years. King Charles I was taken prisoner in 1647 following his defeat in the English Civil War by parliamentary troops.
He subsequently faced trial and was convicted of high treason. Upon being released from questioning, Andrew was photographed in a striking image slumped in the rear of a Range Rover as he departed Aylsham police station in Norfolk.
A senior palace source indicated it would be a “concern” for the King should he be expected to cover the expenses due to public sentiment regarding the allegations Andrew is facing. The source said: “The King is adamant that public funds will not be used to fund any legal costs for Andrew, but if he did meet the costs himself, there is certainly a risk that the public would not view that favourably. It’s a very difficult and delicate situation.”
Following the removal of Andrew’s titles and honours in October 2025, amid ongoing allegations concerning his brother, Charles also removed him from his 30-room Royal Lodge mansion on the Windsor estate. Keen to prevent his brother becoming homeless, the King provided accommodation in a four-bedroom cottage situated on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
Following his eviction from Royal Lodge, which underwent a five-day police search following his arrest, reports emerged this week that Andrew is relinquishing the lease on another Crown Estate property.
The discredited former royal has requested to terminate his tenancy of East Lodge, located near his previous residence at Sunninghill Park in Berkshire, with documentation obtained by the BBC revealing he has been paying yearly rent of nearly £13,000.
The 19th Century, single-storey, thatched cottage served as the lodge adjacent to the substantially larger Sunninghill Park, which the late Queen Elizabeth II presented to Andrew and his former wife Sarah Ferguson as a wedding gift two years after their 1986 marriage.
The 2007 sale of Sunninghill Park for £15m sparked controversy – with the Kazakh president’s son-in-law purchasing it for £3m above the advertised price.
Andrew’s financial affairs have long been shrouded in mystery. In 2022 he settled a civil sexual assault case for £12million, filed by his sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre, despite previously stating he had no memory of ever encountering her.
Within his revised biography of the King, royal author Robert Hardman disclosed in November 2024 that the Keeper of the Privy Purse, responsible for managing royal finances, received instructions to cease the personal allowance and security payments for Prince Andrew. Insiders reveal that the sum, which equates to millions of pounds annually, aligns with the King’s wish to avoid any involvement with his brother’s potential legal costs.
Andrew receives a yearly Royal Navy pension of approximately £20,000, earned over his 22-year military career spanning from 1979 to 2001.
Following his 66th birthday in February 2026, he also became eligible to claim a state pension of approximately £7,000 to £9,500 annually, as he paid National Insurance contributions during his service. Detectives have asked Andrew’s former close protection officers to “consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard” during their service could be relevant to the investigation into Epstein and his associates.
The Metropolitan Police said it is working with counterparts in the US to establish whether London airports had been used to “facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation”. Buckingham Palace did not comment.
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