In March 2023, Prince Andrew was initially presented with the 5,089 sq ft Frogmore Cottage in return for relinquishing his tenancy on the opulent thirty-room Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
The Duke of York has persistently declined to compromise despite his brother, King Charles, terminating his annual million-pound stipend and ceasing to fund his security detail.
Prince Andrew's issue seems to be resolved, as an unidentified benefactor has pledged to subsidize him with £3 million a year.
However, despite delivering a decisive strike in the protracted conflict, one issue persists for the prince, as News.com.au's royal correspondent Bronte Coy reported.
“They've said that the the source is legitimate, but I don't know what that means. I don't know who this person is and also why and also for how long they make payments. That's the big question," Bronte told Virgin Radio.
Bronte posits that Prince Andrew's victory may be temporary, asserting that the Duke of York had prevailed in the conflict. Has he achieved long-term victory in the war? The outcome is contingent upon the identity of the individual providing payment.
According to Bronte, the royals' financial affairs lack transparency, and Prince Andrew's revenue sources are challenging to ascertain. Although Charles would have received a substantial inheritance from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, and his grandmother, Elizabeth the Queen Mother, his expenses are high.
Prince Andrew incurred significant expenses by resolving a civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against him in the United States by Virginia Giuffre for an unknown amount estimated to range from £7.5 million to £12 million. He persists in refuting the supposed victim's allegations.
Prince Andrew got approximately £250,000 annually, which encompassed the expenses associated with operating an office, during his tenure as a "working royal," as per The Telegraph. However, that revenue vanished following the disastrous Newsnight interview in which he sought to elucidate the nature of his association with millionaire sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew has a close relationship with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, who acknowledged making a "gigantic error of judgment" by taking £15,000 from Jeffrey Epstein to settle a debt.
In 2017, Prince Andrew allegedly had a £1.5 million personal loan settled by a corporation associated with an affluent Conservative party benefactor, The Guardian reported. However, this remains unverified.
The Queen, in 1986, gave Prince Andrew and his wife Sunninghill Park as a wedding gift. Prince Andrew sold the 12-bedroom residence to Timor Kulibayev, the son-in-law of the then-president of Kazakhstan, through an offshore trust in the British Virgin Islands for £15 million—£3 million above the asking price.
Prince Andrew's sole other recognized income is an armed forces pension, estimated to be approximately £20,000 annually.
The recent benefactor appears to have alleviated Andrews's immediate issues; however, the duration of this new support is uncertain. “Are they going to pay for two years and then we're going to still have this conversation two years from now?” Bronte said.
Speculations about a secret benefactor have also raised several eyebrows online. "Who is funding Prince Andrew's lavish lifestyle? The public deserves transparency!" one netizen said.
"While ordinary citizens face economic hardships, Prince Andrew secures a mysterious £3 million subsidy. Outrageous," a second X user stated. "If the funds are from a private source, it's their business. Let's not jump to conclusions," another netizen added.
Business Times has reached out to Prince Andrew for comments.
