Prince Andrew to keep taxpayer funded bodyguards after security review following Epstein scandal
12 August 2022, 11:10
Prince Andrew will keep his taxpayer funded bodyguards even though he no longer carries out any royal duties.
A review by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures – also known as Ravec - found that the Prince was still entitled to round-the-clock police protection, which is estimated to cost between £2 million and £3 million per year.
The Prince is accompanied by a personal protection officer whenever he leaves his home, and his 30-room Royal Lodge on the Queen’s Windsor estate has permanent security arrangements in place.
Prince Andrew withdrew from public life following Virginia Giuffre’s allegations that Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, when she was 17 years old.
Following a legal case brought against Prince Andrew by Ms Giuffre in the US, the Prince agreed to a financial settlement whilst continuing to deny the claims.
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It is thought that the high profile civil case may have been considered as a factor likely to increase the security risk to the Prince.
In April this year, a 31-year-old man and 29-year-old woman were arrested after being found trespassing on the grounds of Andrew’s Windsor home.
In December 2021, a woman was arrested after banging on the Prince’s car window and verbally abusing him as he was driving through Windsor.
Andrew’s nephew, Prince Harry, is in an ongoing legal dispute with the Home Office over his security arrangements, after a ruling that he could not privately fund his Scotland Yard security. The Duke wanted security arrangements in place for himself and his family when visiting the UK.
The Prince had wanted to fund the security arrangements privately.
Last month, following a refusal of his requests by Ravec, the Duke won the right to a judicial review of the committee’s decision.
Prince Harry has questioned the independence of the committee, noting that it featured members of the Royal Household including the Queen’s Private Secretary, Sir Edward Young.
