In recent months, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has found himself at the center of a renewed media firestorm, driven by King Charles’ decision to cut his financial support and a scandal involving alleged ties to a Chinese spy. The controversies, unfolding as of July 2025, have intensified scrutiny on Andrew’s lifestyle at Royal Lodge in Windsor and his questionable associations, further tarnishing the royal family’s reputation. With King Charles reportedly “livid” and pushing for his brother to vacate his sprawling residence, Andrew’s future remains uncertain, raising questions about royal accountability and national security.
Since stepping back from public duties in 2019 following a disastrous BBC Newsnight interview about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew has relied heavily on private funding from King Charles to maintain his 30-room mansion at Royal Lodge. The residence, leased from the Crown Estate for over $330,000 annually, requires a security bill estimated at several million pounds per year. According to a biography by royal author Robert Hardman, serialized in the Daily Mail in November 2024, Charles instructed the Keeper of the Privy Purse to end Andrew’s personal allowance and security funding, a move signaling the king’s frustration with his brother’s financial dependence.

The decision follows years of tension. Charles, keen to streamline the monarchy, has urged Andrew to relocate to the smaller Frogmore Cottage, previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, to reduce costs. A source told The Times that Andrew’s refusal to move reflects his determination to maintain his lifestyle, despite losing public funding from the Sovereign Grant. Questions about Andrew’s finances—potentially bolstered by inheritances from Queen Elizabeth II or his trade envoy role from 2001 to 2011—have fueled speculation about how he sustains Royal Lodge, dubbed the “Siege of Royal Lodge” by media.
Adding to the turmoil, Andrew’s judgment has been called into question over his close ties to Yang Tengbo, a Chinese national banned from the UK in 2023 after MI5 identified him as a suspected Chinese Communist Party spy. According to The Daily Beast and BBC reports, Yang, who served as Andrew’s business adviser, was described in court documents as his “closest confidant,” promising access to senior royals through Andrew’s Eurasia Fund initiative. A letter found on Yang’s device portrayed Andrew as “desperate, grasping at anything,” raising concerns about national security breaches. King Charles, aware of Andrew’s initiatives, reportedly met with him to address the issue, but the scandal has deepened public distrust.
The PBS News reported that Charles is under pressure to take “more aggressive action” to keep Andrew out of the public eye, with royal author Ed Owens calling him “toxic” and a liability to the monarchy. The controversy has drawn parallels to Andrew’s Epstein scandal, where his 2019 Newsnight interview failed to justify his association with the convicted sex offender, leading to his withdrawal from royal duties. On X, users have expressed outrage, with posts calling Andrew’s actions “unforgivable” and questioning Charles’ leniency compared to his treatment of Prince Harry. 

The convergence of financial disputes and espionage allegations has sparked intense media scrutiny. The Independent and Newsweek report that Andrew’s refusal to leave Royal Lodge, despite Charles’ funding cuts, paints him as an isolated figure operating outside the royal fold. His absence from the 2024 Christmas service at Sandringham, a decision reportedly to avoid further embarrassment, underscores his estrangement, though Charles has allowed private family events to maintain familial ties.
Public sentiment on X reflects a divide: some defend Charles’ efforts to balance family loyalty with institutional protection, while others criticize Andrew’s “entitled” behavior. The lack of transparency about his finances, combined with the spy scandal, has led to calls for a “full and transparent review” of royal dealings, as suggested by Dame Margaret Hodge in response to separate reports about Charles and Prince William’s Duchy estates receiving millions from public bodies. 

Andrew’s controversies pose a significant challenge for King Charles, who faces pressure from Prince William to exclude his uncle from any future royal role. Fox News reports that William, viewing Andrew as a “black cloud,” believes his scandals—Epstein, Yang, and financial opacity—threaten the monarchy’s reputation. The Netflix film Scoop and Amazon’s A Very Royal Scandal, both dramatizing the 2019 Newsnight interview, have kept Andrew’s Epstein ties in the public eye, with Virginia Giuffre’s tragic suicide in 2025 reigniting debate.
Charles’ decision to cut funding while allowing limited social inclusion, such as private Windsor events, reflects a delicate balance. However, as The Conversation notes, Andrew’s scandals continue to overshadow the monarchy’s efforts to modernize. The absence of credible reports placing Andrew in Texas or confirming an unconscious incident suggests misinformation, highlighting the need for critical scrutiny of sensational claims.
As Charles navigates this crisis, the monarchy faces a reckoning. Andrew’s refusal to downsize and his questionable associations risk further reputational damage. The king’s financial crackdown and the spy scandal have thrust Andrew into a media storm, with no clear resolution. Whether Charles can rein in his brother without fracturing family ties remains uncertain, but the saga underscores the challenges of maintaining a modern monarchy amid persistent scandal.