As you say in your editorial (31 October), “Recent events point to the need for a wider reset of Britain’s relationship with its royal family.” Consider some facts. Between July and September 2025, 4,711 people were seen sleeping rough in London by outreach workers and 2,116 of these people were doing so for the first time. At last count, the king had seven palaces and 10 castles. Then there are the 4.5 million children living in relative poverty.
But the monarchy has fabulous wealth. For the year 2025-26, the king is receiving a sovereign grant of £132.1m. The crown estate has assets of £15bn.
The monarch holds the Duchy of Lancaster, which at the end of March was worth £679m and had made £24.4m in annual profits. Similarly, the Duchy of Cornwall had assets worth £1.1bn and annual profits of £22.9m.
Rae Street
Littleborough, Greater Manchester
I notice that the Sandringham estate is run as a business, with holiday lets and public access to parks and gardens (Andrew in line for six-figure payout and annual stipend from king, sources say, 31 October).
Surely, rather than give Andrew a stipend to stay in a grace-and-favour house doing nothing, the king should offer him a wage to do something useful? I am sure the estate needs tour guides, cleaners, groundspersons, gardeners and rubbish collectors: good jobs on the national living wage for a commoner.
Time was, disgraced aristocrats did penance through good works. It is probably just the sort of therapy this disgraced former prince needs, now that solutions such as banishment to the colonies are thoroughly out of fashion.
John Robinson
Deal, Kent
Since the word “folly” is derived from the Old French “folie”, meaning “madness” or “foolishness”, perhaps The Folly, of all the possible new homes on the Sandringham estate, is the most appropriate choice for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (Which property on the Sandringham estate is fit for a former prince?, 31 October). The etymology is the basis for the original English meaning of “foolish behaviour”, which later expanded to include concepts of wickedness, and then later to the specific and modern use of “folly” as a large, extravagant, and often purposeless structure or building. Large, extravagant and purposeless? Yes, that just about sums it up.
Paul Goodman
Loughborough, Leicestershire
Your article about which house Andrew Windsor might live in could have been combined with your fantasy house hunt feature in the Money section: “Best Sandringham rental properties for a disgraced former prince.”
Chris Packham
Birmingham
According to the statement issued by the royal family, the last names of the commoner formerly known as Prince Andrew are not hyphenated, so surely Andrew Windsor is sufficient, or just plain Windsor. It would save time, ink and patience.
Paulina Church
Manchester
Surely the one title/honour which Andrew Mountbatten Windsor should be allowed to keep is the probably appropriate “vice-admiral” (Andrew to be stripped of naval title, says UK defence secretary, 2 November).
Lydia Woolley
Weybridge, Surrey
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.theguardian.com ’
