Andrew Could Be 'Paid Quite a Lot of Money' Before He Flees To Another Country, Claims Insider
As Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor prepares to vacate Royal Lodge, speculation grew that he was allegedly offered millions to leave the property. With the Firm already on icy waters for giving him too much leeway, such reports have done little to quell public criticism. Commenting on the alleged payout, royal expert Andrew Lownie believes Mountbatten-Windsor would be paid 'a lot of money' simply to get him out of the monarchy's hair. He further suggested that the former Prince would flee to the Middle East before his move to Sandringham.
According to the Mirror, the royal author believed that Mountbatten-Windsor's relocation to Sandringham is merely a stopgap arrangement. He told the outlet, "He's [Mountbatten-Windsor] not going to a two-up, two down. He's going to have staff. I think that they're playing all this down, but he's not going to be shopping in Lidl. He's going to be paid quite a lot of money to move." Further commenting on the former Prince's future outlook, he added, "I personally don't think that he's going to end up at Sandringham, I think that charges will be brought against him and he will flee to the Middle East or somewhere, rather like King Juan Carlos, but that's only me speculating."
Interestingly, Mountbatten-Windsor is no stranger to the Middle East, as most of his alleged shady financial dealings happened there. Lownie speculated that should the legal repercussions against the former Prince continue to intensify, he would allegedly consider relocating to Abu Dhabi. The expert continued, "I suspect that it would suit everyone's purposes if basically Andrew did disappear there away from public view and the story got shut down." He also pointed out the Emirati authorities' nonchalance about their extradition agreement with Britain. He stressed, "The last thing [The Palace] wants is a trial, with all the dirty linen aired in public, and so this would be a very neat solution."
Previously, Lownie has alleged that the former Prince would escape to a 'secret palace' in Abu Dhabi to escape public scrutiny. The mansion in question is reportedly a gift from Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. According to the Daily Mail, the palace is said to be fully staffed and located close to the Persian Gulf waters. However, Mountbatten-Windsor is allegedly not keen on moving there, as he reportedly finds the area 'too quiet.' At the time, the news also came amid reports that Prince William and Kate Middleton were eager to have him removed from Royal Lodge for fear of living next to him.
As for Andrew's alleged shady Royal Lodge payout, a close confidant of his told the Daily Beast that the disgraced royal had reportedly made it clear that giving up Royal Lodge would require 'financial recompense.' They said, "In this country, you can't seize people's assets. Charles was always going to have to pay him off — and he's done what he should have done in the first place." Another friend of the Yorks, who has long shared the residence with him, spilled, "The pension is handsome."