Prince Andrew and Fergie buy multimillion pound Swiss chalet

Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have bought a multimillion pound luxury chalet in Switzerland, according to reports from the BBC.

The chalet, believed to cost between £8m and £13m, is located in the Swiss resort of Verbier. The chalet was purchased by the divorced couple on a joint mortgage.

The timing of this revelation appears to be unfortunate from the perspective of the Royal Family. It is not clear how Prince Andrew could afford a purchase of this nature without help. His income is a pension from the Royal Navy, following his naval career that ended in 2001.

Prince Andrew resigned as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment in 2011 after calls from senior MPs and others for him to be removed due to their perceptions of his unsuitability for the role.

Prince Andrew resigned as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment in 2011 after calls from senior MPs and others for him to be removed due to their perceptions of his unsuitability for the role.

It is understood that the 52-year-old's main income comes from his mother, the Queen. The financial position of his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have frequently been troubled and at one point she is understood to have had debts of £5m.

The BBC reports that Jeffrey Epstein, the registered sex offender, who once loaned Ferguson £15,000, has not bankrolled this purchase.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

News of the chalet purchase comes a week after the Duke of York was named in US court papers relating to a case against the American financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Royal officials have stated that Prince Andrew will "move on and push ahead" with his work amid the claims made in the case that Epstein pressured a young woman to have sex with the duke on three occasions between 1999 and 2002.

Buckingham Palace has "emphatically denied" the allegations.