{"id":309634,"date":"2025-10-31T14:20:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T04:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=309634"},"modified":"2025-10-31T14:20:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T04:20:53","slug":"prince-andrew-scandal-blows-hole-in-britains-opaque-royal-funding-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=309634","title":{"rendered":"Prince Andrew scandal blows hole in Britain\u2019s opaque royal funding system"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The British aristocracy has always seen talking about money as a little bit grubby. But the scandalized Prince Andrew is forcing the issue front and center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King Charles\u2019 transgressive younger brother is facing torrid headlines over his friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the revelation in The Times this week that he appears to be living rent-free<\/a> in a vast lodge is prompting a barrage of wider questions about the way Britain\u2019s royals are funded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the House of Commons Wednesday, Britain\u2019s center-left Prime Minister Keir Starmer did nothing to tamp down opposition calls for an inquiry into whether taxpayer interests are being protected when it comes to Andrew, who stepped back from Royal duties in 2019 and gave up key titles just last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is important, in relation to all Crown properties, that there is proper scrutiny,\u201d Starmer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Thursday, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee \u2014 parliament\u2019s public spending watchdog \u2014 said he would be requesting more information on Andrew\u2019s Royal Lodge agreement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scandal has sent questions about royal finances rocketing up the U.K. political agenda, just months before a scheduled review of a key part of the arrangement, known as the Sovereign Grant, kicks off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrew\u2019s living arrangements are part of \u201cmuch, much wider problem\u201d with a system of royal finances, which is still mired in secrecy, said Margaret Hodge, the U.K. government\u2019s anti-corruption czar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Revelations that King Charles\u2019 disgraced brother appears to be living rent-free prompt fresh scrutiny of the royal coffers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":309635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,16675],"tags":[5364,18576],"class_list":["post-309634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-royal-family","tag-london","tag-prince-andrew"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t