With Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor now officially under investigation following his arrest, a royal source has said that the former prince will be financially responsible for his own legal representation
King Charles will ensure that the British public does not foot the bill of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s legal bills, it is understood. The responsibility to fund the former prince’s legal representation will fall on him alone, and if he cannot afford to, the burden “will not fall on the public purse,” according to a royal source.
While the monarch has provided his younger brother with free accommodation on the Sandringham estate after his eviction from the Royal Lodge, it is understood that Charles will not also be paying for whatever legal representation the disgraced royal required, as he remains under investigation by Thames Valley Police.
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Andrew reached state pension age on Thursday as he turned 66 on the day of his arrest, as he now has access to both the £7,000-per-year state pension, on top of his £20,000-per-year pension from his years serving in the Navy.
Despite these two pension funds now seemingly his only means of income, little is known about the true nature of Andrew’s finances and overall net worth.
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie told the Mirror : “It remains a mystery how Andrew has been able to afford such an extravagant lifestyle without any sources of income beyond his naval pension.”
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Andrew was released from custody at around 7:30pm on Thursday, with Thames Valley Police saying he was released under investigation and searches on the Sandringham Estate had concluded. Its statement said: “Thames Valley Police is able to provide an update in relation to an investigation into the offence of misconduct in public office.
On Thursday we arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrested man has now been released under investigation. We can also confirm that our searches in Norfolk have now concluded.”
Andrew was detained following allegations that he shared reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, during his time as trade envoy to the UK.
In response to the arrest, King Charles said in a statement that “the law must take its course” after expressing his “deepest concern” over the arrest, which came after millions of files released by the US Department of Justice in relation to the Epstein scandal allege Andrew forwarded information to the convicted sex offender.
