King Charles III Will Not Pay Former Prince Andrew's Lawsuit

Buckingham Palace and King Charles III made it clear to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor that he could not use the upkeep funds allocated to him as the king's brother to pay his legal action against the police. According to the BBC, Buckingham Palace stressed that the lawsuit filed by Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor because of searches at his estate is his personal matter. The royal family is not involved in his judicial strategy and fully supports the police.

Former Prince Andrew filed a lawsuit against Thames Valley police over searches at his Sandringham estate in February 2026. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's lawyers want to test whether search warrants issued in connection with an investigation into the king's brother's links to American financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were legal. Police are investigating the former prince on several counts, from abuse of office and the transfer of secret government data to Mr. Epstein to other sexual offences. If lawyers can prove the unlawfulness of the searches, the court can cancel the warrants, making it impossible to use the evidence found in his possession in a potential criminal trial.

The king annually pays his brother money, which goes to cover expenses and personal protection. The exact amount has not been disclosed, but some estimates suggest it could exceed £1m a year. This money does not come from taxpayer funds, but from the personal income of the king from a portfolio of real estate, land and investments.

Alena Miklashevskaya