The former Duke of York could still be eligible for a historic royal perk costing millions of pounds in taxpayer cash.
Andrew was stripped of his titles by King Charles late last year (Image: Getty)
Critics have warned of a major “oversight” that could see millions in taxpayer cash go towards Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor‘s funeral. The former Duke of York, who was stripped of his titles amid furore over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released under investigation in February.
Despite his ostracisation from the royal fold, Andrew is still included in the Cabinet Office’s “bridge” planning process for senior royal funerals, according to reports. This means that he could still receive a large state send-off, with costs of around £8million, funded by the British taxpayer.
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.”
Andrew has largely been expelled from the royal fold over his friendship with Epstein (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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.
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 the convicted sex offender.
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.
In May, it criticised Andrew for failing to surrender it “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.