Prince Andrew Still Receiving Taxpayer-Funded Police Protection
Protecting the Duke of York doesn't come cheap.
Prince Andrew may not be Queen Elizabeth's favorite child—according to a new book by royal biographer Matthew Dennison—but that hasn't stopped him from receiving special treatment. Treatment that many take issue with, all things considered.
In a decision made by the same people who denied Prince Harry's fight for familial security, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (also known as Ravec) has assessed that Prince Andrew is still entitled to taxpayer-funded police protection. This is despite the fact that he has been stripped of royal duties and the HRH title. Police protection of the royal comes at great cost to the people, too, with The Telegraph estimating the financial burden to be somewhere between £500,000 and £3 million annually.
Feels a bit hypocritical, no?
The Duke of York may be the Queen's son, which affords him some level of security detail, but he's also been accused by Virginia Giuffre of rape and sexual abuse when she was 17 years old. The case against him is what ultimately brought about the removal of Andrew from royal public life, as well as his military and charitable affiliations.
It should be noted that Andrew has denied any wrongdoing, and later settled the case with Giuffre.
Still, it's no doubt a hard pill to swallow for many, particularly those who see it as a frustrating double standard. As has been frequently reported in the news, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have twice petitioned to have police protection when they're in the UK, only to be denied. This is particularly troubling when one considers that during his last visit home in July 2021, Harry's security was compromised.
What's more, Harry isn't even asking the government to pay for his own police security when in the country, even though it "is widely known others who have left public office and have an inherent threat risk receive police protection at no cost to them," per a statement from a legal representative for the Sussexes.
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Guess it pays to be the Queen's son, title or not, favored or otherwise.
Alicia Lutes is a freelance writer, essayist, journalist, humorist, and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. She has written extensively on culture, entertainment, the craft of comedy, and mental health. Her work has been featured in places such as Vulture, Playboy, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Cosmopolitan, Rotten Tomatoes, Bustle, Longreads, and more. She was also the creator/former host of the web series Fangirling, and currently fosters every single dog she can.