Is This The Real Reason Prince Andrew Is Selling His Investment Property?
Prince Andrew has had a rough few years. Between his connection to Jeffrey Epstein causing alarm to recent sexual assault claims filed against him, the royal has had his fair share of scandal and legal troubles as of late. According to Page Six, Prince Andrew is selling the only property he owns to cover his legal fees. However, these aren't the legal feels pertaining to his sexual assault proceedings. Rather, he sold the property to settle a lawsuit over a $9 million outstanding balance on the Swiss Ski Chalet.
According to the outlet, Prince Andrew purchased the seven-bedroom mountain home in 2014 for $22.75 million with the help of his mother. The Times of London reported at the time that he and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, had purchased the home together to serve as a long-term investment for their entire family. Unfortunately for the former couple, the original owner of the home sued them for $9 million after claiming they failed to make the final payment. Now that the Prince has put the property back on the market, the former owner has dropped the suit after he promised to use the funds to pay the full amount they closed on.
Prince Andrew has been embroiled in controversy for years
In 2021, Virginia Guiffre officially filed a lawsuit against the disgraced royal, claiming that Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell forced her to have sex with him against her will, Page Six reports. Since the scandal has become public, Prince Andrew has had to step back from royal life entirely. However, many have questioned the Queen's lack of outrage over the issue, especially after she let him keep his military appointments.
Indeed, according to Newsweek, Queen Elizabeth is set to award 200 medals to celebrate her 70-year reign in 2022 — and her second son is expected to receive one of those. The other awards will likely go to military members and emergency workers. Even though he's under investigation for first-degree rape, Prince Andrew may be honored due to a royal precedent. A royal insider explained to the outlet, "Family members get the medal for commemoration, not for service. If precedent is followed then he will get one."
In addition to being asked to step back from life as a senior member of the royal family, Prince Andrew now has no official properties that he owns himself after selling his ski chalet, and he faces charges that could land him in prison.