New extracts from Omid Scobie’s book “Endgame” reveal that Prince Harry was surprised when his father, King Charles III, paid a “seven-figure sum” to fund Prince Andrew’s security after he stepped back from royal duties, but did not offer the same support to Harry.
According to a report by Express, Scobie wrote that the King’s decision to pay Andrew’s estimated £3 million annual security bill “surprised Prince Harry after Charles had no problem cutting him off from all financial aid and paid protection when he stepped away from his royal role.”
Harry and his wife Meghan lost their taxpayer-funded security when they stepped back as senior working royals in 2020. Since then, Harry has fought legal battles with the Home Office and Metropolitan Police to fund his own police protection when visiting the UK, arguing that he faces security risks he inherited at birth.
Meanwhile, Andrew retained his security detail after stepping back from public duties in 2019 due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The yearly cost of his 24/7 police protection is reportedly up to £3 million.
A royal source said Harry “could not fathom” why his father would pay such a sum for Andrew yet offer no support for his own security costs. “It seems there is one rule for Harry and another for the disgraced Duke of York,” the source said.
Some royal experts believe Charles wanted to shield Andrew from public scrutiny as Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against him was underway last year. His security team kept him out of the public eye during this period.
“Charles has always had a blind spot when it comes to his favored brother,” said royal biographer Penny Junor. “But Harry is baffled by this double standard, especially now Andrew has settled his court case.”
Harry believes his security concerns are valid given his mother Princess Diana’s death in a car crash while being chased by paparazzi. He argues this threat extends to his wife and children.
In January, he filed a claim against the Home Office challenging its decision to remove his taxpayer-funded security. Harry has made multiple offers to pay for police protection himself when visiting Britain.
But the Home Office dismissed these, saying “publicly funded security is not available on a privately financed basis.”
Harry faces an uphill legal battle. But his lawyers argue the case has implications for others facing security threats beyond their control.
A judgment is expected in coming months. But the case has widened the rift between Harry and the royals, raising difficult questions about who warrants taxpayer-funded security after leaving official duties.
