The financial support provided by King Charles to his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not be utilized for his ongoing legal challenge against law enforcement authorities, a royal source confirmed on Sunday.
Andrew has been instructed that the allowance, funded entirely from the King’s private wealth rather than the Sovereign Grant, must not cover the costs associated with contesting the search warrants executed at his residences ahead of his February arrest.
The former Duke of York is currently seeking a judicial review into the legality of warrants issued by the Central Criminal Court and executed by Thames Valley Police. These searches targeted properties at Sandringham and Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Unlike the Sovereign Grant, which constitutes the £138 million in public funding for the monarchy, the money supporting Mountbatten-Windsor is drawn from the King’s personal income, including returns from the Duchy of Lancaster, private estates, and inheritances.
Buckingham Palace has distanced itself from the former prince’s legal efforts. As Andrew is no longer a working royal, the Palace does not issue statements on his behalf nor is it involved in the proceedings. At the time of the arrest, King Charles stated that “the law must take its course.”
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on his 66th birthday, following disclosures from the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the United States Department of Justice. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing regarding his past associations with the convicted sex offender.
A court hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon will address the bid to quash the warrants. Nick Vamos, a criminal lawyer and former head of special crime at the Crown Prosecution Service, noted that even if the warrants were invalidated, it might not significantly hinder the police case. He explained that officers could apply to the Crown Court to retain seized material if there were grounds for immediate seizure, and material would only need to be returned in cases involving fundamental flaws in the warrant issuance.
Thames Valley Police acknowledged they are engaged in legal proceedings concerning the warrants but declined to provide further comment due to the ongoing nature of the case.
Finally, someone is drawing a line in the sand. The taxpayer shouldn’t pay for this, and apparently neither should the King.
Lawyers say quashing the warrants won’t stop the case anyway. Why is Andrew bothering with this judicial review then?
I’m surprised by the detail regarding the Duchy of Lancaster. It’s fascinating how the finances are structured.
Interesting that Charles is using his own money to make this point. Does this signal a rift between the brothers?
This seems like a sensible boundary. Andrew’s legal battles should not drain the King’s private funds.