London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Mar 09, 2026

Prince Andrew faces calls to pay for his own security

Prince Andrew faces calls to pay for his own security

Growing clamour for royal to lose dukedom and taxpayer-funded Scotland Yard security detail

The Duke of York faces calls to pay for his own security and relinquish his dukedom after being stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages in the fallout over the civil sexual assault case against him.

The calls come as his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, welcomed the New York court ruling that paved the way for her lawsuit against Prince Andrew to proceed to trial, as she pledged to “continue to expose the truth”.

Prince Charles – who, with Prince William, was reportedly key to the Queen making her decision on Andrew’s future – ignored questions about his brother while on an engagement in Scotland.


With Andrew prevented from using his HRH style in any official capacity and banned from royal duties, calls were growing for him to lose his taxpayer-funded Scotland Yard security and his title Duke of York.

Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, tweeted it was “untenable” for Andrew to cling on to his title “another day longer”, and Darryl Smalley, a senior member of City of York council, launched a campaign to strip Andrew of his dukedom.


The security minister, Damian Hinds, refused to confirm whether taxpayers would continue to fund Andrew’s security arrangements, telling LBC: “Our security forces, the police and others, do what they judge is necessary to protect our country, to protect people in it.” It was a “longstanding and I think correct principle that we don’t talk about who and how in particular”, he added.

Andrew has made clear he intends to continue to fight to clear his name over allegations made by Giuffre, 38, that she was forced into having sex with him when she was 17 and had been trafficked by the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. He vehemently denies the allegations. A source close to the duke said on Thursday: “This is a marathon not a sprint and the duke will continue to defend himself against these claims.”

As a senior royal, he has round-the-clock Scotland Yard protection. Security costs are never discussed by Buckingham Palace or the Metropolitan police. But it has been reportedly estimated that the annual cost to the taxpayer of guarding Andrew could be up to £2m.

Graham Smith, of the campaign group Republic, questioned whether the taxpayer should fund security for any royals except the head of state. Of Andrew, he said: “Given that he’s no longer in any real sense a member of the royal household it does make sense he pays for his own security.”

The question of taxpayer-funded security for non-working royals was last raised when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down. When Harry and Meghan made public their decision early last year, their website suggested that the Home Office, through the Metropolitan police, should continue to provide protection for the couple and their young son, Archie. The Sussexes later signed multimillion-pound deals with Netflix and Spotify, with the duke telling Oprah Winfrey he had secured them to pay for his security.

The former Home Office minister and royal author Norman Baker said: “[Andrew] has, like Harry, kept his HRH even if he is not using it. But that means he still qualifies to spend public money and qualifies for security. He is no longer carrying out royal duties, so should have the HRH taken away along with his security.” Baker also called for him to have his dukedom revoked.

As Andrew faces mounting legal bills, it is not known if the Queen is assisting him with these privately. He receives an allowance from the Queen from her Duchy of Lancaster estate and may benefit from personal investments and bequests from family members. He also has a modest naval pension.

He lives in the grace-and-favour Royal Lodge at Windsor and is now in the process of selling a ski chalet he co-owns with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York. He sold his former marital home, Sunninghill Park near Windsor, which was a wedding gift from the Queen, in 2007 to the son-in-law of the former ruler of Kazakhstan for £15m, £3m over the asking price.

The duke’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, received official protection until 2011 but now must foot the bill themselves.

Giuffre has praised Wednesday’s court ruling that rejected legal arguments by Andrew’s lawyer to have her case against him dismissed. She wrote on Twitter that she was pleased with the ruling, adding: “I’m glad I will have the chance to continue to expose the truth & I am deeply grateful to my extraordinary legal team.

“Their determination helps me seek justice from those who hurt me and so many others. My goal has always been to show that the rich and powerful are not above the law & must be held accountable.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Declines UK Offer to Deploy Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Return to Australia After Seven Years for Philanthropic and Business Engagements
UK Government Signals Independence From Washington as Cooper Says Britain Does Not Agree With Trump on Every Issue
UK Experts Warn AI Chatbots Are Fueling Surge in Claims of Organised ‘Satanic’ Ritual Abuse
UK Political Parties Divided Over Strategy as Iran Conflict Reshapes Foreign Policy Debate
Britain Discloses Secret Military Repair Hubs Operating Inside Ukraine
Trump Says US No Longer Needs UK Carrier Support After Delayed Offer Amid Iran Conflict
Why Britain Has Become Involved in the US-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran
UK Gas Storage Falls to Under Two Days as Iran Conflict Jolts Global Energy Markets
UK Warned to Brace for Economic Shock as Iran War Drives Global Energy Price Surge
Starmer and Trump Hold First Call After Public Dispute Over Iran Conflict
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
Four U.S. Strategic Bombers Arrive in Britain as Iran War Intensifies
Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies After Violent Attack in High-Security Prison
UK Lawmakers and Experts Condemn Scale of Overseas Human Remains Held in British Museums
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Placed on Standby for Potential Deployment
United Kingdom Confirms U.S. Military Using British Bases for Operations Targeting Iranian Missile Sites
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
British Counter-Terror Police Arrest Four Suspected of Spying on Jewish Community for Iran
Axel Springer Agrees $770 Million Deal to Acquire Britain’s Daily Telegraph
Iceland Supermarket Drops Trademark Challenge Against Icelandic Government in Long-Running Naming Dispute
UK Defence Secretary Visits Cyprus Following Scrutiny of Britain’s Response to Drone Attacks
Questions Grow Over Britain’s Military Readiness as Response to Iran Conflict Draws Scrutiny
UK Offers Failed Asylum Seeker Families Up to Forty Thousand Pounds to Leave Voluntarily
Saharan Dust Could Bring ‘Blood Rain’ to Parts of the UK as Weather Systems Shift
UK Deploys Additional Typhoon Fighter Jets to Qatar and Helicopters to Cyprus Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Experts Urge Britain to Accelerate Renewable Energy Push as Global Conflicts Drive Up Costs
British Public Shows Strong Reluctance to Join Wider War in Iran
First UK Evacuation Flight Departs Middle East After Lengthy Delay
United Kingdom Imposes New Visa Requirements on Travelers from St. Lucia and Nicaragua
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
×