London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

Andrew's fury after £3m-a-year taxpayer-funded cops to be axed within weeks

Andrew's fury after £3m-a-year taxpayer-funded cops to be axed within weeks

PRINCE Andrew is furious with ministers after being told that his taxpayer-funded police guard is to be axed next month.

The scandal-hit royal, 62 — who was stripped of his official duties in January — still wants the public to foot the bill of up to £3million a year for his gun cops.

The armed guards are estimated to cost up to £3 million to the taxpayer each year

Prince Andrew paid out £7million to sex accuser Virginia Roberts

He is set to formally complain about the decision - even though Brits are being clobbered by the worst cost of living crisis since World War Two.

The Duke of York is escorted by police guards whenever he leaves the grounds of Windsor , Berks.

It is estimated to cost the taxpayer up to £3million every year.

But he is to lose his round-the-clock guards in mid-December after being stripped of his official duties in January in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal.

And the latest decision suggests he has no real hope of returning as a working royal any time soon

A source told the Sun on Sunday: “He is going to write to the Home Office and the Met Police to complain about losing his taxpayer-funded security.”

Andrew’s diva-like demand for continued taxpayer funding is likely to spark a backlash from the public as they struggle with rocketing bills

One senior Labour MP said: “He doesn’t seem to understand that he’s in disgrace and people don’t want to hear from him any more — especially him with his begging bowl.

“I know he has a title, but that doesn’t mean he is entitled to taxpayer-funded protection.

“I know families who don’t know if they will be able to afford their kids’ Christmas presents this year.


Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles earlier this year by The Queen

Andrew suffered an astonishing fall from grace following the sex trafficking scandal surrounding his financier pal Epstein.

The Duke was forced to step down from official royal duties in late 2019 after a BBC interview.

Outraged viewers accused him of failing to show any sympathy for victims of paedophile Epstein — who killed himself in prison in 2019 after being convicted of sex offences.

Andrew also paid a reported £7million out-of-court settlement with sex accuser Virginia Roberts after she agreed to drop the case against him.

He vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

It has left him the most unpopular royal, with just eight per cent of Brits saying they like him, according to the latest poll by YouGov.

This year he was stripped of the title His Royal Highness and all his military honours after a showdown meeting with Queen Elizabeth.

Prince Andrew was said to be her favourite son. But in his new book Elizabeth, An Intimate Portrait, Gyles Brandreth says the late monarch had no hesitation in acting following his disastrous Epstein interview.

He has not undertaken any official public duties since and has been occasionally snapped out horse riding.

Andrew has repeatedly tried to plot a return to public life, but has been blocked by King Charles and Prince William who fear his return would plunge the monarchy into crisis.

The King has also vowed to slim down the institution.

Earlier this year, it emerged that Andrew had a collection of stuffed teddy bears on his bed at Buckingham Palace.

Staff had to arrange them meticulously or risk “abuse”, an ex-royal protection officer claimed.

The Duke is the second royal to kick off over the removal of protection officers.

Prince Harry is suing the Government for refusing to splash taxpayers’ cash on bodyguards for him and his family when in the UK.
Prince Andrew’s spokesperson was approached for comment.

The Home Office said: “It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on protective security.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
×