After Andrew’s arrest, voters demand transparency over royal funds

Nearly two-thirds of voters want royal finances opened and subject to the same transparency as government spending amid the scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, an exclusive poll for The i Paper reveals.

Support for making royal finances open to public scrutiny cuts across political lines – including among Conservative voters, traditionally supportive of the monarch, according to the survey by BMG. Just 19 per cent said finances should not be opened up to public scrutiny, whereas 63 per cent say they should.

Overall backing for the monarchy remains broadly stable at 49 per cent of voters, but younger people are significantly less likely to back the institution – suggesting the headline figure masks longer-term generational pressure.

Sixty-two per cent believe the UK will still have a monarchy in 20 years, but the scandal that has engulfed Mountbatten-Windsor is adding fresh pressure on Buckingham Palace to clarify how the former duke’s security, property and other costs are being met.

MPs and constitutional experts are warning the monarch and wider Royal Family’s finances could be put under the microscope, after allegations of how the King’s brother used his taxpayer-funded post of trade envoy sparked uproar.

Mountbatten-Windsor is being investigated by police over allegations of misconduct in public office.

He is accused of sharing sensitive information with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK’s special representative for trade between 2001 and 2011. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing.

But there are also questions over the source of the funding for the former duke’s settlement with his sexual abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre.

Labour MPs told The i Paper there needs to be an investigation into the source of the funds and what was known within the Royal Family.

Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, said that if the monarchy is to remain in place, there needs to be “significant reform which brings greater transparency and scrutiny to their work, what they achieve and how this is funded”.

The monarchy’s finances

The monarchy is provided funding via the Sovereign Grant which stood at £132.1m a year in 2025-26.

The grant includes funding for:

• The maintenance of royal residences known as the Occupied Royal Palaces
• Royal travel for official engagements in the UK and overseas undertaken by the King and other members of the Royal Family acting on his behalf
• Employment costs for Royal Household staff who support the work of the King

The King also receives funds from the Duchy of Lancaster while the Prince of Wales receives net profits from the Duchy of Cornwall.

The King derives private income from investments and inherited wealth, which is not made public

She called for a special joint committee of MPs and members of the House of Lords to be set up in Parliament to examine this.

She said: “The assertions that Mr Mountbatten Windsor spent public money on activities for which it has been alleged women were exploited is an abhorrence and an abuse. In addition there is real concern that he might have used an element of public funds to silence Ms Giuffre.

“The public must know what their hard-earned taxes are being spent on and it is sickening that a family with so much affluence take public money when people are struggling to pay the rent, food and utilities bills.”

Richard Burgon, a former shadow Lord Chancellor, previously told The i Paper a “full independent review” is needed, adding: “This is not just about Andrew’s conduct, it is about the funding of the settlement, institutional knowledge of that settlement, and responsibility within the Royal Household.”

The BMG poll found that 49 per cent of voters support the UK having a monarchy, down from 52 per cent in 2023.

But only a fifth (21 per cent) said they wanted to abolish the monarchy, compared with 23 per cent three years ago.

A majority of 62 per cent believe here will still be a monarchy in 20 years’ time, compared with 21 per cent who think it unlikely.

Graham Smith, the head of anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, said the royals should be as transparent about finances as politicians or any other public body.

He said: “If anyone spends public money the public have a right to know about it. It’s that simple.”

Smith said support for the monarchy used to be around 75 per cent and above – indicating a longer-term decline and a signal that “will not survive in the long run”.

He added: “The monarchy has no place in a modern democracy. It’s running out of road and the sooner it goes the better.”

Andrew Lownie, author of the recent biography on Mountbatten-Windsor, Entitled, said: “As a monarchist who wants it to continue, but with continued trust and respect, I welcome greater transparency about royal finances.

“I also hope they will now be open to more parliamentary scrutiny. If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear.”

Jack Curry, pollster at BMG, said public attitudes towards the monarchy have been broadly stable since 2023.

He said: “When the question is framed not simply as support or opposition to the monarchy, but as a direct choice between the monarchy and an elected head of state, support for the alternative remains limited.

“Most people continue to back the current system, while many others are indifferent rather than actively republican.”

Curry said there was a clear “generational divide”, with younger adults “far less attached” to the institution than older groups.

He added there is a “growing expectation” that the Royal Family should meet “modern standards of transparency”, adding: “While recent headlines have generated controversy, they have not translated into widespread support for a republic. But they do reinforce the public’s desire for reform and accountability.”

The exclusive poll for The i Paper surveyed a representative sample of 1,503 adults living in Great Britain between 4-5 March.