Prince Andrew Takes Exception to How Queen Elizabeth II’s Will Was Executed
Royal Family news and updates reveal that Prince Andrew has ‘some resentment’ at how Queen Elizabeth II’s fortune was disbursed following her death. Continue reading and we’ll spill the Earl Grey.
Royal Family News: Why is Prince Andrew in Despair?
Royal Family news and updates reveal that, according to Tatler, King Charles III was the sole beneficiary of the late monarch’s estate. In the wake of the Duke of York’s reportedly forced move from Royal Lodge to Frogmore, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s eviction from Frogmore Cottage, rumors are swirling that Prince Andrew is ‘bewildered’ and ‘in despair’ about how the Queen’s fortune is being dispersed.
The Mail on Sunday reports that the sole beneficiary for the Queen’s fortune, which the outlet notes could be more than $789 million, is King Charles III. The Times on the other hand has her fortune set quite a bit lower at $450 million.
Palace Claims Prince Andrew Hasn’t Been ‘Targeted’
According to a source for the Daily Mail, there is ‘some resentment’ from Prince Andrew over his and his two other siblings, Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh’s omission from the disbursement of Elizabeth’s fortune. An unnamed friend of Andrew reportedly said, ‘Andrew is in despair. He’s been left completely in the dark… What’s he meant to do? Go cap in hand to his older brother to keep a roof over his head?’
A palace source indicated that the Duke of York “hasn’t been uniquely targeted for ill-treatment. They added that the Queen supported her children while she lived and made provisions for them ‘already’. Another source reportedly told the outlet that the Queen’s fortune passed directly ‘from monarch to monarch’ which is the most ‘tax efficient’ method of transferring allowing her estate to avoid paying an inheritance tax. In other words, it’s business, not personal.
A Long-Standing Convention
The Times reports that ‘eyebrows have been raised’ over the idea that Andrew ‘had no idea this was coming’ as it is a long-running protocol for a monarch’s estate to be passed down in the same manner. The arrangement reportedly began back in 1862 and was re-established as recently as 1993 around a negotiation over royal finance with then-prime minister Sir John Major.
What this means is that while owners of expensive estates are often hit with high death taxes, the royal family is able to avoid breaking up their private estates, such as Sandringham and Balmoral. If recent reports are accurate, Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York will be swapping their 30-room mansion for the comparatively smaller Frogmore Cottage despite the duke having spent upwards of $9 million to renovate his mansion.
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