Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains covered by government contingency plans for a ceremonial royal funeral despite losing his titles and military affiliations, according to a report that has renewed questions over whether British taxpayers could eventually be asked to help finance honours for the disgraced former Duke of York.
The Mail on Sunday reported that confidential Whitehall arrangements known as "bridge" plans still contain funeral provisions drawn up for Andrew before his removal from public royal life. The plans reportedly haven't been updated to reflect his dramatically diminished status.
The contents of the documents haven't been independently verified by IBTimes UK. Buckingham Palace and the Cabinet Office declined to comment, leaving unclear whether the existing blueprint would actually be followed or substantially rewritten before Andrew's death.
The report nevertheless opened another sensitive front for the monarchy because Andrew, 66, no longer performs official royal duties and has lost the military appointments, patronages and titles that once would have provided the basis for a substantial ceremonial funeral.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams argued that the existing arrangements appear disconnected from Andrew's current position.
"The idea he should be offered a royal funeral is clearly preposterous as he has been stripped of his royal titles," Fitzwilliams told the People's Channel.
"This is an issue where plans have very clearly not been updated," he added.
Andrew's retreat from public life began under Queen Elizabeth II as scrutiny intensified over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The late Queen removed his military affiliations and royal patronages after Virginia Giuffre brought a U.S. civil lawsuit accusing Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.
Andrew denied Giuffre's allegations. The lawsuit was subsequently settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, without an admission of liability.
King Charles later removed his younger brother's remaining royal status following further controversy surrounding the release of U.S. Justice Department material related to Epstein, according to the supplied reporting.
The question raised by the reported funeral blueprint is therefore unusual: whether plans created when Andrew occupied a significantly different position within the monarchy have simply remained inside government files rather than representing an active decision to give him a major publicly supported ceremony.
Royal historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo suggested that no definitive decision is likely to be necessary for years. Andrew's age and circumstances mean the final arrangements could ultimately fall to the next monarch rather than Charles.
Decisions "are not going to be made until King William is on the throne, and we know that the Prince of Wales has adopted the harshest of attitudes towards his uncle," Heydel-Mankoo told GB News.
Andrew's military record could complicate decisions over the appropriate level of ceremony. He served during the Falklands War as a Royal Navy helicopter co-pilot aboard HMS Invincible, a period of his biography that historically would have been recognized prominently at a royal funeral.
He also once held honorary military appointments involving the Grenadier Guards, Royal Irish Regiment and Royal Regiment of Scotland. Those affiliations were later removed amid the fallout from the Epstein controversy, substantially changing Andrew's formal relationship with the armed forces.
More recent developments have further separated him from his former public position. According to the supplied report, Thames Valley Police arrested Andrew earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office connected with his period as a U.K. trade envoy. He was subsequently released under investigation.
Andrew has also left Royal Lodge, his longtime Windsor residence, and moved to Marsh Farm on the King's Sandringham Estate, according to the report.
The controversy is particularly sensitive because of Andrew's extraordinarily weak public standing. Fitzwilliams cited recent YouGov polling that placed his popularity at just 2%, underscoring the potential resistance to any funeral requiring significant public expenditure.
"Taxpayers will emphatically not wish to be involved in any such event as he is a private citizen," Fitzwilliams said.
