Andrew in
line for six-figure payout and annual stipend from king, sources say
The
former prince remains under scrutiny as Buckingham Palace finalises plans for
his future as a commoner
Caroline
Davies, Anna Isaac, Neha Gohil and Vikram Dodd
Fri 31
Oct 2025 22.46 GMT
The
former Duke of York is in line to receive a large one-off payment and an annual
stipend designed to prevent him overspending in his new life as a commoner, the
Guardian understands.
One
option for a relocation settlement, as the king strives for a “once and for
all” solution to the problem of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, includes an initial
six-figure sum to cover his move from Royal Lodge in Windsor to private
accommodation in Sandringham, Norfolk.
This
would be followed by an annuity, paid from Charles’s private funds, and thought
to be several times Mountbatten Windsor’s £20k-a-year navy pension, sources
close to the matter said. Talks on the relocation package are believed to be
ongoing.
Now
stripped of his titles including prince and HRH, Mountbatten Windsor was struck
from the official roll of the peerage just hours after Buckingham Palace
announced the formal process had been initiated.
A palace
statement on Thursday said the king had started the formal process “to remove
the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew” and that “formal notice has now
been served to surrender the lease” on Royal Lodge.
It added:
“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.”
The prime
minister, Keir Starmer, is said to fully support the king’s decision. A Downing
Street spokesperson said: “Our hearts go out to the family of Virginia Giuffre
and all the victims who suffered from Jeffrey Epstein’s despicable crimes.”
Giuffre’s
brother, Sky Roberts, told the Guardian that the palace statement was a royal
“acknowledgement that something occurred” between the disgraced duke and his
sister, who died by suicide this year.
He added:
“I think that [the king is] speaking very clearly in that statement when he
says he’s with survivors out there.”
The
government was consulted before Buckingham Palace’s announcement, and has made
clear its belief it is constitutionally proper for the king to make this
decision.
It is
understood that the Cabinet Office worked with the king’s senior aides to find
a solution that would avoid use of parliamentary time, and consulted with
several constitutional experts. The king ultimately opted to abolish the
dukedom using his powers of royal prerogative.
A royal
warrant and letters patent to formally remove Mountbatten Windsor’s entitlement
to use his prince and HRH style will be processed over the next few days.
A senior
government minister suggested on Friday that Mountbatten Windsor should go to
the US to answer questions on Jeffrey Epstein if asked.
Trade
minister Sir Chris Bryant told BBC Breakfast: “I think that just as with any
ordinary member of the public, if there were requests from another jurisdiction
of this kind, I would expect any decently minded person to comply with that
request. So I feel exactly the same in this situation.
“What I’m
basically saying is that I think that if Andrew is asked to do something by a
Senate committee, then I would have thought that he would want to comply.”
Scotland
Yard is considering whether it should launch new criminal investigations into
the alleged activities of the former prince. He is now caught up in two
inquiries by British police.
One is a
“scoping” exercise – an inquiry before a formal criminal investigation is
launched – into whether Giuffre’s posthumously published memoirs and other
recent claims require a full investigation.
The
second inquiry follows claims that Mountbatten Windsor tried to get his police
protection officers to “dig up dirt” on Giuffre.
While the
loss of his titles comes into effect immediately, the former prince is not
expected to leave Royal Lodge until after Christmas, which means he will –
conveniently – not be present when the royals gather at Sandringham for the
holiday.
Discussions
about Mountbatten Windsor’s tenure on Royal Lodge reportedly grew more urgent
in late 2024, when the Prince and Princess of Wales decided to move to Forest
Lodge, less than two miles away.
As they
intend to remain in their new home when William eventually becomes king, the
couple feared the PR implications of having his uncle as a close neighbour,
sources told the Guardian.
Sources
also said William and Kate felt deeply frustrated at the lack of acknowledgment
of Epstein’s victims in the statement Mountbatten Windsor released two weeks
ago, announcing he was voluntarily relinquishing the use of his titles.
The
Telegraph reported on Friday night that the queen had also been a factor in the
move to strip Mountbatten Windsor of his titles, as she was concerned about his
impact on her work with sexual abuse victims.
Buckingham
Palace has previously said that the royal family, including the Waleses, fully
support the king’s leadership on this matter, and all decisions have been the
king’s, with the support of the wider family.
While
Charles is expected to make private financial provision for his brother,
Mountbatten Windsor’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will make her own arrangements.
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice will retain their titles as daughters of the
son of a sovereign, in line with King George V’s letters patent of 1917.
The
decision to strip Mountbatten Windsor of his titles followed two weeks of
difficult negotiations following his statement he would cease to use them, a
move which failed to stem negative headlines.
Palace
sources indicated the latest move was prompted by serious lapses of judgment
over the former prince’s involvement with Epstein, and that the necessity of
action was never in doubt.
The
king’s decision was almost certainly influenced by Giuffre’s posthumously
published memoir, Nobody’s Girl, exclusive extracts from which were published
in the Guardian.
These
repeated her allegation – strenuously denied by Mountbatten Windsor – that she
had been forced to have sex with the then prince on three occasions while
trafficked by Epstein.
Thursday’s
palace statement made clear that the censures were “deemed necessary,
notwithstanding the fact that he [Mountbatten Windsor] continues to deny the
allegations against him”.
Throughout
the process, the palace is understood to have been conscious of the impact the
king’s decision will have on his brother and his family.
Pressure
had intensified as MPs called for parliamentary debate on Mountbatten Windsor’s
position, and as the public accounts committee released a list of detailed
questions they had sent to the crown estate about his 75-year lease on Royal
Lodge.
Despite
the king’s move, Mountbatten Windsor remains eighth in the line of succession
to the throne. A change to this would require primary legislation, for which
there are no current plans.
“Clearly
it would take quite a catastrophe for him to become king, given all those that
are ahead of him,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine. “So
might it not have been tidier to withdraw him from the line of succession?”
The
former prince also remains a counsellor of state, albeit inactive, as
parliament has previously been assured only working royals would be eligible to
act as stand-ins for the king should he be incapacitated or abroad.
Mountbatten
Windsor is said to have had a “cast-iron” lease for Royal Lodge, and only after
negotiations with the king’s representatives did he agree to serve formal
notice to surrender the agreement, which had more than 50 years left to run.
Though
the process of surrendering the lease and other formalities can be drawn out,
it is understood that things are moving as quickly as practicable.
Buckingham
Palace and Kensington Palace were approached for comment.
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