Last Friday, I did the math on Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s “settlement” with King Charles, and by my calculations, Andrew is walking away with SO MUCH. My guess, last week, was that Andrew likely got a lump-sum payment to relinquish his lease on Royal Lodge, probably millions of dollars/pounds. He’s also getting: a rent-free home for life on the Sandringham estate; enough funding to ensure that he has household staff; security paid for by the crown; annual income, paid by Charles; protection from prosecution; and finally, the ability and freedom to travel, especially to the Middle East. But the most valuable thing Charles got in return, it seems, is the freedom to brief the media about how Andrew isn’t really getting that much. According to new reporting, Andrew is only receiving one six-figure lump-sum payment, plus a generous “annuity.”
The former Duke of York is in line to receive a large one-off payment and an annual stipend designed to prevent him overspending in his new life as a commoner, the Guardian understands.
One option for a relocation settlement, as the king strives for a “once and for all” solution to the problem of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, includes an initial six-figure sum to cover his move from Royal Lodge in Windsor to private accommodation in Sandringham, Norfolk.
This would be followed by an annuity, paid from Charles’s private funds, and thought to be several times Mountbatten Windsor’s £20k-a-year navy pension, sources close to the matter said. Talks on the relocation package are believed to be ongoing.
Now stripped of his titles including prince and HRH, Mountbatten Windsor was struck from the official roll of the peerage just hours after Buckingham Palace announced the formal process had been initiated.
Here’s the thing: while I could totally see Charles relishing having this kind of financial control over Andrew, I just think that the reporting on this situation is incomplete. Andrew is getting everything the Guardian describes… and more. Andrew held the upper hand in his negotiations with Charles, and one of the biggest issues was Andrew’s lease on Royal Lodge. While Charles/BP has made a big deal about serving Andrew with eviction papers, that’s all for show if you read the fine print – Andrew can only be “evicted” if he agrees to leave, and he would only agree to leave for a significant amount of cash. That’s what he’s been saying for years, Charles just refused to listen until now.
Currently, the Evening Standard points out that Andrew will be denied his “half a million pound compensation for giving up his lease on Royal Lodge.” Meaning, the Crown Estates will not pay the compensation. Because I’m almost positive that Andrew and Charles struck an off-the-books deal about Royal Lodge. The lack of Crown Estates compensation makes much more sense if you understand that Andrew is getting a different kind of settlement from Charles from his Duchy of Lancaster slumlord funds.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.
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- 166873, Charles, Prince of Wales and Duke of York at the funeral of Countess Mountbatten of Burma at St.Paul’s church in Knightsbridge. London, United Kingdom – Tuesday June 27, 2017. UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG, TAIWAN, SPAIN & ITALY OUT Photograph: © Stephen Lock, i-Images, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 [email protected] FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE,Image: 533054254, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- Britain’s King Charles, Britain’s Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward attend a vigil, following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, inside Westminster Hall in London, Britain, September 16, 2022.,Image: 723504646, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: HANNAH MCKAY / Avalon
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- Britain’s King Charles III (front R), Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Britain’s Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex arrive to mount a vigil around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s orb and sceptre, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster in London on September 16, 2022, ahead of her funeral on Monday. – Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state in Westminster Hall inside the Palace of Westminster, until 0530 GMT on September 19, a few hours before her funeral, with huge queues expected to file past her coffin to pay their respects.,Image: 723508432, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: DANIEL LEAL / Avalon
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- King Charles III, Princess Anne – The Princess Royal, Prince Andrew The Duke Of York and Prince Edward – The Earl of Wessex walk behind the coffin of their grandmother Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral and committal service at St. George’s Chapel – Windsor Castle, London, England, UK on Monday 19 September, 2022.,Image: 724237717, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- King Charles , The Queen Consort, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew attend the Easter Sunday Service in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.,Image: 768362206, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: David Dyson / Avalon
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- Prince Andrew arriving for the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral, central London. Picture date: Tuesday September 16, 2025. This is the first Catholic funeral service held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, converted to Catholicism in 1994.,Image: 1037851240, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt/Avalon
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- Prince Andrew arriving for the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral, central London. Picture date: Tuesday September 16, 2025. This is the first Catholic funeral service held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Katharine, the wife of the late Queen’s cousin the Duke of Kent, converted to Catholicism in 1994.,Image: 1037851355, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt/Avalon
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- London, UK, 16th Sep 2025. Prince Andrew chats to clergy. HRH King Charles III, The Prince and Princess of Wales Prince William and Princess Catherine, Anne the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew The Duke and Duchess of York, Prince Michael of Kent and other senior members of the Royal Family all pay their last respects as the coffin is carried to the hearse. They then depart from Westminster Cathedral after the a requiem mass, a Catholic funeral service held for the Duchess of Kent, who passed away on 4 Sep.,Image: 1037876812, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter/Avalon
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The congregation and Members of the Royal Family depart for the Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral, London
Featuring: Prince Andrew
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 16 Sep 2025
Credit: Cover Images**NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
