Disgraced Prince Andrew Suffers Another "Shattering Blow to His Ego," Insiders Claim

Prince Andrew was famously forced to step down from duties as a working member of the Royal Family after his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, including allegations that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was a minor at the time of the incidents. As part of his demoted stature, he is no longer able to enjoy some of the afforded luxuries that come with being a Royal. For example, he can't attend certain events, wear his military uniform to those he can, and one of the biggest, he has to pay his own way. This week, he was dealt a new blow, according to sources, and it has to do with his security detail. 

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is a member of the British royal family and the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was born on February 19, 1960, and is currently ninth in line to the throne. In 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson, and the couple had two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. The couple divorced in 1996.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, has been at the center of a controversy involving allegations of sexual misconduct and a close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The controversy began in 2019 when Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein's alleged victims, claimed that she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 years old. Prince Andrew has categorically denied these allegations and has said that he does not remember meeting Giuffre.

In November 2019, Prince Andrew gave a televised interview to the BBC in which he addressed the allegations and his relationship with Epstein. The interview, which was widely criticized, sparked further controversy and led to Prince Andrew stepping back from public duties.

Since the controversy began, Prince Andrew has faced significant backlash and criticism, and several organizations have cut ties with him. The scandal has also damaged the reputation of the British Royal Family and has led to calls for Prince Andrew to be stripped of his royal titles.

Despite the controversy, Prince Andrew has maintained his innocence and has continued to be involved in various charitable and public service endeavors. However, the scandal has had a lasting impact on his public image and his role within the royal family.

Now, according to The Sun on Sunday, King Charles is stripping away Prince Andrew's taxpayer-funded arm guards, which cost the country a whopping $3.6 million a year. Instead, the Prince will be offered protection from taser-Equipped private security. 

The publication claims that instead of the public funding his brother's security, the King will take it upon himself to pay the bill. Buckingham Palace was approached for comment but issued no statement. 

Norman Baker, a former Home Office minister, explained to The Sun that armed security protection has "always been a status symbol for the likes of Prince Andrew." He elaborated that because the Prince has no public role or duties and exists as a "private individual," it makes sense that he should "of course" pay for his security instead of taxpayers. 

Another source maintains that there needs to be more transparency in terms of "who is paying and how much" for the controversial royal's security. They point out that even if the King is footing the bill taxpayers would "end up paying for this indirectly anyway." They added that this policy should be implemented for all non-working royals, stating the public should not pay for "any member of the Royal Family that carries out no public duties."

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The source also added that Prince Andrew is likely taking this latest development hard. "It is a shattering blow to his ego," they said. "Made worse by the fact if he cannot afford it, he'd be cap in hand begging for money from his older brother."