Prince Andrew must 'tighten his belt' as he gains nothing from Queen's estate, says author

Royal author Christopher Andersen said that Prince Andrew is facing more financial woes amid reports that King Charles III refuses to share his inheritance from their late mother.

Queen Elizabeth II left her estate, estimated to be worth nearly $800 million, to her eldest son in keeping with a 1993 agreement that no inheritance tax should be paid on a monarch's assets moving forward. This means, her fortune had to be passed from "monarch to monarch" as this was the most "tax efficient" way.

Andersen noted in an interview with Fox News Digital that this practice was also implemented when the Queen Mother died. She left her entire fortune to Queen Elizabeth II for "the same reason." In this case, none of King Charles III's siblings, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward, will benefit from their mother's estate.

As such, the author of "The King: The Life of Charles III" said that "there is absolutely no reason for Andrew to expect money from his mother's estate" because "He knew all too well that legislation was passed... to avoid crippling inheritance taxes."

Andersen added of the Duke of York, "He also knew that when the Queen Mother died, she left her entire fortune to her daughter Queen Elizabeth II for the same reason. The Queen Mother also left specific instructions for certain people to inherit various pieces of jewelry and other personal property, but in fact, these were not binding – total control remained in the hands of her daughter the queen."

The biographer acknowledged that Prince Andrew is "in a terribly difficult position financially" but claimed that this is "a dilemma of his own making." He referenced the royal's friendship with the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and said, "He was completely undone by his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. Because of that, he gets none of the income from the Sovereign Grant that goes to a working royal. In the past, you could always rely on mama to bail him out when he faced money troubles, but those days are clearly over."

However, the author believes that King Charles III "is not about to abandon Andrew entirely." Regardless, he suggested that the "Duke of York will definitely have to change his lifestyle and tighten his belt."

Andersen's advice comes following reports that King Charles III has told his brother to move out of Royal Lodge, the home he shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and live in Frogmore Cottage, the U.K. residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. His Majesty has also asked the Sussexes to vacate the cottage given that they now live in California with their children.

Prince Andrew has yet to accept his brother's offer but he is said to be "resolute" that he will stay at Royal Lodge. But there is a reason why King Charles III wants him to move to Frogmore Cottage. The duke's annual allowance of nearly $300,000 will reportedly be cut in April. The lack of finances will make it difficult for him to maintain the 98-acre mansion on the grounds of Windsor.

The duke retreated from public life and stepped back from his royal duties in 2019 because of the scandal brought about by his association with Epstein. Queen Elizabeth II also stripped him of his royal patronages and military titles in January 2022.

Then in March of the same year, he settled his sexual abuse case out of court with his accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleged that the royal raped her when she was only 17 and working for Epstein. Her Majesty and King Charles III reportedly paid the settlement amount on his behalf. But the settlement does not prove that Prince Andrew is guilty. He has since vehemently denied Giuffre's allegations.