Why Prince Andrew Will Not Lose His Royal Residence or Place in the Line of Succession Due To Sexual Assault Lawsuit
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Since a woman accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her as a child and filed a lawsuit against him in an American court, his legal difficulties have been on full display. His mother, Queen Elizabeth, recently accepted the decision to deprive Andrew of his HRH (His Royal Highness) status, as well as his other royal and military titles, signifying that he will be fighting the case on his own, without the throne’s support. Even if his impending court case does not go his way, he will not lose a few things.
Despite a judge dismissing his request to have the case dismissed, Prince Andrew will still have to deal with the lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Giuffre accuses the prince of sexually assaulting her as a teenager as part of the sex trafficking ring operated by the late Jeffrey Epstein and the imprisoned socialite Ghislaine Maxwell when she was a teenager.
Andrew is apparently hoping that the lawsuit will be settled, which is why he’s been freeing up his assets, including settling debts and selling his Swiss chalet for an estimated $23.7 million, according to unidentified individuals who talked with the New York Post through PageSix. According to the Washington Post, resolving the lawsuit would be the “least bad option” for Andrew.
Even if the worst happens, Andrew will not be left homeless. In reality, he’ll be able to stay in the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, which he shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, which has 30 rooms. Despite the fact that the house is valued at $40 million (£30 million) on the open market, Andrew signed a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate in 2003 for a one-off fee of $1.4 million (£1 million). Rent is around $339 (£250) per week.
The Crown Estate is a complex corporation that is effectively a multimillion-dollar property portfolio controlled by the sovereign, who is now Queen Elizabeth, albeit she has no say in management choices. Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine explained, “Andrew certainly won’t be made homeless. The lease has been granted.”
As per suggest, Andrew’s house isn’t the only thing he won’t lose if the lawsuit is dismissed. Andrew will remain ninth in the line of succession for the British Throne, despite losing his HRH style.
Asked if Andrew could be removed from the line, Little replied, “Given that he’s gone from second [after older brother Prince Charles] to ninth, this would serve no purpose.” Basically, his spot in line is irrelevant with so many in front of him.
The former royal editor of the Sun concurred, adding, “It’s unlikely to happen, ever, because Andrew would be able to argue you can’t just cut him out of the family as it were, like a will.” He added, however, that there are still some things the disgraced princess stands to lose.
“The Queen has done virtually everything that she can do now, but there is one thing left — stripping him of the title of Duke of York and Prince. That would be the ultimate humiliation.” In fact, it’s entirely within the realm of possibility, Larcombe continued, that “the Queen could look at that and make him just ‘Andrew.’”
