Why are we still paying for Sarah Ferguson? writes Shelagh Fogarty

The question hanging over Buckingham Palace is simple but deeply uncomfortable: why are we still paying for Prince Andrew and, by extension, Sarah Ferguson?

The release of Virginia Giuffre’s book has brought Prince Andrew’s disgrace back into the public eye. The allegations against him, which he continues to deny, have not gone away.

And each time his name returns to the headlines, the reputational damage spreads, touching the King and, by association, the entire institution of the monarchy.

This week, a heckler outside Lichfield Cathedral asked King Charles, “Have you asked the police to cover up for your brother?”

It was the question that any self-respecting journalist would ask in an interview if given the chance. He ignored the heckler, as royals tend to do, but the questions lingered in the air.

The heckler told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, “These issues are pushed aside or swept under the rug.” He is right. Every time the public sees Andrew standing near his brother or at the centre of a royal event, it chips away at the King’s credibility.

The sight of him at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral, front and centre beside William and Charles, was painful to watch. William looked deeply uncomfortable, and so did many of us.

King Charles is still widely respected, but that bond with the public is fragile. The Queen earned it through decades of dignity and restraint. Her son risks losing it through hesitation and misplaced loyalty.

So what now? To me, it’s no longer complicated. Prince Andrew needs to issue a clear, final statement. No more half-measures about stepping back or returning military titles.

If I were advising him, I’d tell him to say this: “I understand that I’ve lost your trust. While I maintain my innocence, I recognise that for the sake of the monarchy and the King, I must withdraw fully from public life and royal privilege.”

That means giving up the perks, particularly housing funded by the public purse.

The suggestion that he and Sarah Ferguson might move from Royal Lodge to two smaller properties is almost insulting. You can have as many homes as you like if you pay for them yourself.

The private family relationships are their business. But the finances are ours. And as long as the public is footing the bill for a disgraced prince and his ex-wife, this problem will never go away.