King Charles Risks Angering Prince Harry As He Will Reportedly Pay For Prince Andrew's Private Security
Tensions between King Charles III and his second son, Prince Harry, might be about to get worse. In the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan," the Duke of Sussex said that it was alarming to "have [his] father say things that just simply weren't true" about him while discussing his future away from the royal family. Prince Harry also accused the monarch's office of leaking — and therefore stopping — his plans to move to another Commonwealth country to avoid the harassment he and his wife were facing from the British media.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also complained about losing their tax-funded security squad after stepping down from their roles, saying the decision left them unprotected from attacks and stalking. Former senior British police officer Neil Basu, who was in charge of counter-terrorism efforts and royal protection, told Channel 4 in November that Meghan Markle indeed faced serious threats from the British far-right. The couple is now responsible for all the financial costs related to their security team in the United States and has fought a legal battle to get police protection during their visits to the United Kingdom (via Grazia Daily).
The King seems to be open to aiding his brother Prince Andrew
While King Charles III is reluctant to provide security for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, he seems open to aiding other members of the royal family who have stepped down from their duties. According to The Telegraph, the king will probably pay for his younger brother Prince Andrew's private security for an estimated annual cost of £3 million ($3.62 million). The Duke of York is set to lose British police protection since he is no longer an active member of the royal family and now lives like a private citizen.
Back in November 2019, Prince Andrew stepped down from his royal duties due to his close relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to an official royal statement. Prince Andrew was also accused of sexual assault and denied the allegations but ended up paying a financial settlement in 2022, per the New York Times.