Queen Elizabeth news – Prince Andrew 'to keep taxpayer funded security' at a jaw-dropping cost to Brits | The Sun

PRINCE Andrew is still entitled to round-the-clock security protection – but at a jaw-dropping cost to the British taxpayer, say reports.

The Queen reportedly acted quickly to "protect" the Firm in 2019 when the disgraced Duke was hit with a public outcry over his ties to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

But now the Telegraph reports the disgraced duke will keep his state-funded police bodyguards following an official review of his security arrangements – despite being stripped of his HRH titles.

The Royal and VIP Executive Committee decided the Duke will still receive the round-the-clock police protection, and will be accompanied by a protection officer whenever he leaves home.

And Permanent security arrangements are in place for the 30-room Royal Lodge on the Queen’s Windsor estate.

And the estimated cost to the British taxpayer sits at an eye-watering £2-£3million per year.

Meanwhile, Andrew’s pay-off to sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre was as little as a quarter of the reported £12million.

Sources say his lawyers negotiated a cut-price deal of £3million-to-£5million.

The Duke has always denied any wrongdoing.

Read our Royal Family live blog for the latest news & updates…

  • Joseph Gamp

    Prince Harry & Meghan made a ‘modern’ Royal Family, defends Palace insider

    A royal expert has said the firm should “thank” the Duke and Duchess of Sussed for their “modernising” ways.

    Prince Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, told Insider that Prince Harry isn’t “destroying” the monarchy, but “modernising” it.

    He told the publication: “I don’t believe for a second that Harry would intentionally try to destroy the monarchy.

    “I wouldn’t put it past him to want to modernise it… to make people aware of the things that have gone on that are wrong,” he said, referencing the infamous Oprah interview.

    The interview saw the Duke and Duchess claim a family member had speculated the “colour of Archie’s” skin before he was born.

    Harold worked with the Firm from 2004 to 2011.

  • Henry Moore

    Her Majesty to cut Balmoral holiday short to see in new PM

    As the race for No.10 heats up, the Palace has revealed that her Majesty will cut her beloved Balmoral trip short in order to welcome the new PM.

    A source told the Daily Mail: “Her Majesty does not expect the new prime minister to travel to Scotland, so the plan is that the Queen will travel down to see them.”

    This summer is set to be a busy one at Balmoral, with Will and Kate likely to spend much of the school holidays there.

    Harry and Meghan were also invited to visit the stunning property, but reportedly snubbed the invite.

  • Henry Moore

    The search begins! The Crown bosses look for a young Prince William

    Producers at Netflix’s The Crown have reportedly sent out a last minute casting call for a young Prince William.

    The show is searching for the perfect actor, around the age of 15, to play the Royal.

    This news comes after reports emerged that the show’s top brass were struggling to find their young Prince Harry, who could play a key role in the coming seasons.

    The Crown has been a smash hit since it first hit our screens, with its next season set to air this November.

  • Henry Moore

    Her Majesty’s signature to feature on new £5 coin

    These limited edition coins are being minted as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

    The coins will feature a stunning print of the Monarch’s own signature, the first time this has happened in her 70-year reign.

    According to Royal Mint, the company developing these coins, prices will range from £13 to an impressive £2,865.

    Nicola Howell, director of chief commercial officer at the Royal Mint said: “This year marks a truly special moment in royal history – Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

    “To celebrate Her Majesty’s incredible reign, we are delighted to unveil a unique collection which features her signature on all three coins for the first time

    “As the official maker of UK coins, we’re proud to have struck each coin of Her Majesty’s reign and this special collection pays tribute to her commitment to the Commonwealth, patronage and charitable work.”

    If you want to get your hands on these gorgeous pieces, make sure to be quick, as they are sure to be snapped up collectors.

  • Henry Moore

    How Her Maj saved the Firm from Andrew’s mistakes

    The Queen acted quickly and decisively to prevent “immediate and seismic” damage to the Royal family following Andrew’s infamous BBC interview in 2019.

    Writing for The Times, Valentine Low revealed: “The Queen is there to protect the institution of the Royal Family and she will do that above all else. We saw this with Prince Andrew.”

    Mr Low continued: “The damage from that was immediate and seismic.

    “It was a very small number of days before he was stepping down from his royal duties.

    “He went from a working Prince in the Royal Family to nothing.”

  • Henry Moore

    Will and Kate ‘touched’ by Prince George’s invite to girl’s party

    Prince George received an adorable invite to a young girl’s sixth birthday party recently.

    The young royal was sadly unable to attend, but his parents sent the birthday girl a touching response anyway.

    The letter from Kensington Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have asked me to thank you for your letter, in which you invite Prince George to your 6th Birthday party.

    “Their Royal Highnesses were extremely grateful for your kind invitation.

    “Having given careful consideration to the possibilities, however, I very much regret that Their Royal Highnesses reluctantly feel they have to decline.

    “Nevertheless, I hope that you enjoyed your birthday.

    “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were immensely touched that you should take the trouble to write as you did to their son, Prince George.

    “It really was most thoughtful of you and Their Royal Highnesses have asked me to send you their warmest thanks and best wishes.”

  • Henry Moore

    Meghan’s acting coach revels the TRUTH about Duchess

    Meghan Markle’s former acting coach as revealed what the Duchess was really like before fame.

    Margie Haber told InStyle: “We never know what people are going to become, do we?”

    “I’ve worked with a lot of people before they’ve landed a big show, like Mariska Hargitay before she landed Law & Order and Meghan before she was on Suits. Look at her now!

    “It was just before Suits and I was teaching auditioning for film and television, so she was in class for that.

    “She was a really nice person, who was a really good actress and I just helped her create … but didn’t know what she would become later in life!”

  • Henry Moore

    Royals fans hail Meghan and Harry after charity award

    The Archewell Foundation, which was set up by Harry and Meghan in 2019, is set to be honoured for its contribution to the Human First Coalition.

    Specifically, the foundation has gone to great lengths to help Afghan refugees in recent years.

    Now, royals fans from across the globe have taken to social media to praise the couple.

    One user said: “Harry and Meghan doing actual change in people’s lives, doing THE WORK not just the talk, so proud of them and so happy for everyone involved in this amazing initiative.”

    Another added: “This is why I love them.They don’t just talk the talk , they walk the walk. I love how organisations they help come and say how much their support has meant.”

  • Henry Moore

    Will and Kate’s charity goes from strength to strength

    Incomings for the Duke and Duchess of ­Cambridge‘s charity, The Royal Foundation, have skyrocketed in recent years.

    Income grew from £6.7million in 2019 to £20.4million in 2021.

    This coincides with Harry and Meghan’s exit from the charity in September 2019, when they left to set up their own Archewell foundation.

    This massive growth in donations as allowed the Cambridges to almost double their charitable donations to £16.4million.

    Much of these funds will go to William’s Earthshot Prize, a charitable organisation set up to support climate change initiatives.

  • Henry Moore

    The Earl of Wessex hails Commonwealth Games staff

    The Royal family’s official Twitter account paid tribute to thousands of ordinary Brits for making the Commonwealth Games possible.

    In a touching statement, the Earl said: “Thanks to the manner, style and enthusiasm with which you have competed, officiated, supported, organised and volunteered, you have, once again, brought the spirit and values of the Commonwealth to life.”

  • Henry Moore

    Prince Harry has ‘modernised’ the monarchy, claims expert

    Prince Harry has played a vital role in “modernising” the Royal family, an expert has claimed.

    Prince Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, told Insider that Prince Harry isn’t “destroying” the monarchy, but instead “modernising” it.

    He told the publication: “I don’t believe for a second that Harry would intentionally try to destroy the monarchy.

    “I wouldn’t put it past him to want to modernise it… to make people aware of the things that have gone on that are wrong,” he said, referencing the infamous Oprah interview.

  • Henry Moore

    Her Majesty to cut Balmoral holiday short to see in new PM

    As the race for No.10 heats up, the Palace has revealed that her Majesty will cut her beloved Balmoral trip short in order to welcome the new PM.

    A source told the Daily Mail: “Her Majesty does not expect the new prime minister to travel to Scotland, so the plan is that the Queen will travel down to see them.”

    This summer is set to be a busy one at Balmoral, with Will and Kate likely to spend much of the school holidays there.

    Harry and Meghan were also invited to visit the stunning property, but reportedly snubbed the invite.

  • Louis Allwood

    Oprah was ‘the tip of the iceberg’

    The media storm Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are weathering is just the beginning as they plan to launch more tell all books.

    While the public and the Royal Family await Prince Harry's upcoming bombshell "heart felt" memoir with baited breath, a royal commentator has said this is just the start.

    Following the Sussexes burst into the limelight away from the Firm with their Oprah interview, royal commentator Neil Sean told his YouTube clan there's no way to "stem the flow of" media attention.

    Meghan's close friend Omid Scobie also co-wrote Finding Freedom with Carolyn Durand, and they have announced a sequel in the coming months following Harry's memoir release.

    Furthermore, Meghan and Harry have a Netflix docuseries in the pipeline, meaning all eyes will be on them in the coming months.

    Neil Sean said they are in desperate need of a PR shake up, and that they are now battling with "who they're going to hire, who they're going to keep and, more importantly, who they're going to fire."

  • Louis Allwood

    Prince Charles struggles with royal duties and protecting the environment

    The Duke of Cornwall has spent decades campaigning for preserving the environment, but has to travel far and wide for his royal duties.

    In 2021, Princess Anne was praised for being the “hardest working royal” that year with 387 official engagements.

    Prince Charles came second, closely following his younger sister with 385.

    The hosts of ITV’s Royal Rota, said he is all too aware of the damage frequent travel has on the environment.

    It was discussed that: “They [Charles and Camilla] recognise the tensions between trying to fit in all the engagements and also trying to be environmentally friendly.

  • Louis Allwood

    ‘Financial element’ of Harry’s book is ‘important’

    Speaking on the latest Royally US, royal expert Tom Sykes discussed the importance of the memoir on the Duke and Duchess’ finances.

    He has made the claim that the couple supposedly, have been “spending money like water”.

    He said: “I think, you know, in a sense for them, then, obviously, the financial element is important.

    “They’ve been, as far as I can tell, they’ve been spending money like water.”

  • Louis Allwood

    Prince Harry’s bombshell memoir to face stiff competition from other Royal books

    While Royals fans across the globe are eagerly awaiting the release of Harry’s tell-all memoir, it won’t be the only Royal book releasing this year.

    In fact, a slew of Royal books are set to launch before the years end, including one written by Valentine Low – the journalist who broke the story of Meghan’s bullying accusation.

    That isn’t all, November will see Angela Levin’s biography of the Duchess of Cornwall launch.

    And all these follow Tom Bower’s recent smash hit ‘Revenge’ that chronicled Meghan’s feud with the Firm.

    Which Royal offering are you anticipating the most?

  • Louis Allwood

    Does Prince Harry want ‘out’ after Queen snubs Meghan’s birthday?

    Prince Harry wants to make a “complete clear out” after a string of PR fumbles.

    A royal commentator said the Duke of Sussex viewed his UN speech on 18 July as a big “comeback” but disappointingly, “not many” people turned up.

    Reportedly, he was “very angry” and wants a “clear out” of his and Meghan Markle’s PR staff.

    YouTube’s Neil Sean said: “Harry, according to a very good source, wants a clear out.

    “This could prove a bit thorny because most of the people responsible for their joint PR are all recommendations previously of his wife former actress, Meghan Markle.”

  • Louis Allwood

    Royal charity closed

    Sussex Royal, the UK-based charity belonging to Harry and Meghan, has been disbanded by the couple.

    This comes as the Duke and Duchess continue to pour their efforts into the Archewell foundation, a charity set up in September 2019, just months before they QUIT the Royal family.

    The official news of the charity’s demise came yesterday.

  • Henry Moore

    The search begins! The Crown bosses look for a young Prince William

    Producers at Netflix's The Crown have reportedly sent out a last minute casting call for a young Prince William.

    The show is searching for the perfect actor, around the age of 15, to play the Royal.

    This news comes after reports emerged that the show's top brass were struggling to find their young Prince Harry, who could play a key role in the coming seasons.

    The Crown has been a smash hit since it first hit our screens, with its next season set to air this November.

  • Henry Moore

    Her Majesty’s signature to feature on new £5 coin

    These limited edition coins are being minted as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

    The coins will feature a stunning print of the Monarch’s own signature, the first time this has happened in her 70-year reign.

    According to Royal Mint, the company developing these coins, prices will range from £13 to an impressive £2,865.

    Nicola Howell, director of chief commercial officer at the Royal Mint said: “This year marks a truly special moment in royal history – Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

    “To celebrate Her Majesty’s incredible reign, we are delighted to unveil a unique collection which features her signature on all three coins for the first time

    “As the official maker of UK coins, we’re proud to have struck each coin of Her Majesty’s reign and this special collection pays tribute to her commitment to the Commonwealth, patronage and charitable work.”

    If you want to get your hands on these gorgeous pieces, make sure to be quick, as they are sure to be snapped up collectors.

  • Henry Moore

    How Her Maj saved the Firm from Andrew's mistakes

    The Queen acted quickly and decisively to prevent "immediate and seismic" damage to the royal family following Andrew's infamous BBC interview in 2019.

    Writing for The Times, Valentine Low revealed: “The Queen is there to protect the institution of the Royal Family and she will do that above all else. We saw this with Prince Andrew.”

    Mr Low continued: “The damage from that was immediate and seismic.

    “It was a very small number of days before he was stepping down from his royal duties.

    “He went from a working Prince in the Royal Family to nothing.”

  • Henry Moore

    Will and Kate 'touched' by Prince George's invite to girl's party

    Prince George received an adorable invite to a young girl's sixth birthday party recently.

    The young royal was sadly unable to attend but his parents sent the birthday girl a touching response anyway.

    The letter from Kensington Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have asked me to thank you for your letter, in which you invite Prince George to your 6th Birthday party.

    “Their Royal Highnesses were extremely grateful for your kind invitation.

    “Having given careful consideration to the possibilities, however, I very much regret that Their Royal Highnesses reluctantly feel they have to decline.

    “Nevertheless, I hope that you enjoyed your birthday.

    “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were immensely touched that you should take the trouble to write as you did to their son, Prince George.

    “It really was most thoughtful of you and Their Royal Highnesses have asked me to send you their warmest thanks and best wishes.”

  • Henry Moore

    Meghan’s acting coach revels the TRUTH about Duchess

    Meghan Markle’s former acting coach as revealed what the Duchess was really like before fame.

    Margie Haber told InStyle: “We never know what people are going to become, do we?”

    “I’ve worked with a lot of people before they’ve landed a big show, like Mariska Hargitay before she landed Law & Order and Meghan before she was on Suits. Look at her now!

    “It was just before Suits and I was teaching auditioning for film and television, so she was in class for that.

    “She was a really nice person, who was a really good actress and I just helped her create … but didn’t know what she would become later in life!”

  • Henry Moore

    Royals fans hail Meghan and Harry after charity award

    The Archewell Foundation, which was set up by Harry and Meghan in 2019, is set to be honoured for its contribution to the Human First Coalition.

    Specifically, the foundation has gone to great lengths to help Afghan refugees in recent years.

    Now, royals fans from across the globe have taken to social media to praise the couple.

    One user said: "Harry and Meghan doing actual change in people's lives, doing THE WORK not just the talk, so proud of them and so happy for everyone involved in this amazing initiative."

    Another added: "This is why I love them.They don’t just talk the talk , they walk the walk. I love how organisations they help come and say how much their support has meant."

  • Henry Moore

    Will and Kate’s charity goes from strength to strength

    Incomings for the Duke and Duchess of ­Cambridge‘s charity, The Royal Foundation, have skyrocketed in recent years.

    Income grew from £6.7million in 2019 to £20.4million in 2021.

     This coincides with Harry and Meghan’s exit from the charity in September 2019, when they left to set up their own Archewell foundation.

    This massive growth in donations as allowed the Cambridges to almost double their charitable donations to £16.4million.

    Much of these funds will go to William’s Earthshot Prize, a charitable organisation set up to support climate change initiatives.

    Source: Read Full Article