How Andrew Windsor’s death will destroy the tradition of royal secrecy

The disgraced ex-duke was forced into public exile after his catastrophic 2019 News night interview in which he defended his friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein and denied allegations from the country’s most high-profile human trafficking victim, Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Andrew as a teenager.

Andrew has consistently denied all allegations of sexual misconduct and settled Giuffre’s civil lawsuit in 2022 with an out-of-court payout of $15 million – without admitting liability.

Since retiring from public life, major questions have remained about the Duke’s finances, security arrangements and sources of income while he lived away from public view.

A royal insider has claimed that the eventual publication of Andrew’s will could become one of the most sensitive financial revelations the monarchy has faced in decades.

The source told us: “There has been enormous curiosity for years about how Andrew continues to maintain his lifestyle after being effectively removed from public royal life. The assumption within royal circles is that his will could finally reveal the true state of his finances, his investments, his property arrangements and how wealthy he really is.”

“What makes this particularly explosive is that Andrew no longer holds the protected status he once had as a senior working royal,” the insider added.

“Traditionally, royal wills are sealed to preserve privacy and protect the dignity of the institution, but there is growing belief that Andrew’s estate may not receive the same protection due to his changed status and the damage caused by the Epstein scandal.”