Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, could still be eligible for a historic royal perk costing millions of pounds in taxpayer cash, according to reports. Despite being stripped of his titles by King Charles late last year, the former duke remains included in the Cabinet Office's "bridge" planning process for senior royal funerals.
This means he could still receive a large state send-off, with costs estimated at around £8 million, funded by the British taxpayer. Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February and released under investigation, amid furore over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Cost of a state funeral
A source told Radar Online: "If Andrew ultimately receives a large-scale royal funeral, the overall operation could probably cost around $11million (£8million) once substantial security, policing, crowd management and ceremonial requirements are considered. That does not mean taxpayers would fund every element, but a major public security operation could leave them with a considerable bill."
Norman Baker, former Liberal Democrat minister, said the enduring arrangement "must be an oversight" on Buckingham Palace's part. Spencer Kuvin, the US lawyer representing nine of Epstein's victims, added that taxpayer funds should "not ever" be used to cover Andrew's funeral costs.
Arrest and loss of titles
The former duke was arrested on his 66th birthday following allegations he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK's trade envoy. He was stripped by the King of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom late last year over his association with Epstein.
Andrew suffered a further blow when it emerged that he could lose one of his final honours, the Freedom of the City of London, last month. The City of London Corporation, the body which administers the ancient city centre, bestowed the award in 2021 because his father Prince Phillip had been a freeman.
Freedom of the City in question
In May, the Corporation criticised Andrew for failing to surrender the honour "despite being asked to do so". It has since emerged that the Corporation is developing a process to remove his right to the Freedom of the City of London, as there is no current mechanism allowing it to do so.
