PRINCE Andrew will continue to have round-the-clock police protection, funded by the taxpayer, despite no longer undertaking royal duties.
The decision follows a complete review of his security by the Metropolitan Police and Home Office.
Prince Andrew will keep his police protection despite no longer being a working royal
The review was undertaken in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, seen here with Ghislaine Maxwell in 2005
The Duke of York, 62, was effectively exiled as a working royal earlier this year when the Queen prevented him from using his HRH title and stripped him of his military and charitable associations.
The Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (known as Ravec) assessed the security threat but decided that he was still entitled to police bodyguards, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Its decision is likely to be seen as controversial in the wake of Prince Harry’s claim in the High Court against the committee’s decision to deny him and his family automatic security when he is in the UK.
Prince Andrew, who is ninth in line to the throne, agreed a significant financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who had brought a legal case against him in the US, claiming he had sexually abused her three times in 2001 when she was 17 after she had been trafficked by the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke has always denied any wrongdoing.
Initially, it was suggested the settlement cost £12million but reports which emerged last weekend claimed lawyers for the Prince negotiated a deal between £3-5m.
The decision by the committee will mean Andrew will continue to have a personal protection officer whenever he leaves his home.
His property on the Windsor estate has permanent security arrangements.
The cost of his personal protection is unknown but it has been estimated to be between £500,000 and £3m every year.
Andrew’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, had their royal security removed a number of years ago.
Other non-working royals, such as Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, do not receive protection as adults.
Prince Andrew was targeted by a number of intruders last year who tried to gain access to the Grade II-listed Windsor home he shares with his former wife the Duchess of York.
In April, a 43-year-old Spaniard, who claimed to be “Irene Windsor” was waved into the property after telling security she had a lunch date with the Duke.
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She was arrested on suspicion of burglary and later sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
A few days later a 31-year-old man and 29-year-old woman were arrested after being found trespassing on the grounds.
Prince Andrew suffered a number of security scares at his Windsor home last year
