Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was formerly stripped of all his titles on Thursday evening, as well as being evicted from his home in Windsor, Royal Lodge. In terms of his future finances, it has been revealed that Andrew will receive a six-figure sum from his brother, King Charles.
According to reports, Andrew will get a payout from the Monarch as a "relocation settlement" as well as an annual salary. Andrew will receive the one-off payment to cover his move from Windsor to private accommodation in Sandringham, Norfolk, followed by the regular stipend to prevent him from "overspending in his new life as a commoner", the Guardian newspaper has reported. The annual payment privately funded by King Charles would be worth several times his £20,000-a-year navy pension, the paper adds.
The official statement
On Thursday, Buckingham Palace revealed news of Andrew's future. It read: "His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him."
The statement concluded with: "Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
© ShutterstockWhy has the decision been made?
The recent decisions about Andrew come after years of controversy, which culminated in the publication of Nobody's Girl, the memoir published posthumously on behalf of Virginia Guiffre, who was allegedly sexually abused by the former Prince. The Prince of Wales is also understood to be supportive of the King's decisions, as is the wider royal family.
HELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash says: "This is the move that many had called for and the King had to act decisively in response, however difficult it may have been for him as a brother. It's a marked change from Andrew's statement announcing he would no longer use his Duke of York title, in which he suggested it was his decision to do so.
"The Palace had to get it right this time to restore public confidence and they have done so. The King has made clear that he is calling the shots. He's condemned his brother's 'serious lapses of judgement' and crucially, said publicly that his and the Queen's sympathies have been and remain with the victims and survivors of abuse. It may have taken longer than the public would have liked – there have been difficult legal and constitutional issues to consider – but the royal family will be hoping this draws a line under the latest slew of damaging headlines so they can focus on their work and the future."
What will happen to the corgis?
After Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, it made sense that her beloved corgis went into the custody of her son, since he was the one who had gifted the two dogs to his mother. On Saturday, Buckingham Palace revealed that the Corgis will stay in the care of their family. "The corgis will remain with the family," the statement read. However, it did not clarify if it would be Andrew, Sarah or Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice who would give them a home.
