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.
