Buckingham Palace will not make British taxpayers pay for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's legal fees, it has been claimed.
If Andrew is unable to pay, the cost of the disgraced ex-duke's legal representation "will not fall on the public purse", one source said.
It remains unclear how any potential fees would be funded, but it is said that the King will not be directly paying for his younger brother's bills himself.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested at his Sandringham home and released under investigation on Thursday.
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As for who would be receiving the legal fees, it is believed the former prince's lawyer Gary Bloxsome would represent him.
A source, speaking to The Telegraph, described Mr Bloxsome as "the only man still by his side".
A criminal defence solicitor, he was first taken on by Mr Mountbatten-Windsor in 2020 when the FBI was investigating his connections to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
He has since became the former royal's closest confidante, spending time together golfing and visiting him for tea at Royal Lodge.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's legal fees will not be taken from the public purse said one source
| REUTERSThe well-placed source said: "Who else would he possibly call on? He’s a criminal lawyer.
"This is Gary’s speciality, there is no better man for the job.
"It wouldn’t make any sense for him to go anywhere else. He knows all the history and they have a good relationship."
Reform's Shadow Chancellor Robert Jenrick weighed in on Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest last night, saying the ex-prince had disgraced himself.
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PICTURED: Police outside the Sandringham estate in Norfolk
|PA
He said during an appearance on BBC Question Time: "It's a blessing really that the late Queen wasn't alive to see this. Because she lived such a blemish-less life of public service as has already been said and it would have been very tragic for her to see where this has gone."
He added the allegations of revealing state secrets to Epstein was "very, very serious".
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing over his Epstein links, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.
The Newark MP then called on Britons to "think about the victims" who are "almost being forgotten" in the discussion.
Mr Jenrick concluded: "He's disgraced himself, he's disgraced the Royal Family, and he's disgraced our country."
As Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, the King was attending the opening of London's Fashion Week
|REUTERS
Mr Bloxsome, who is described as "absolutely brilliant" and "sharp as a blade", was born and raised in southeast London where he now lives.
The criminal defence lawyer has been a partner at Blackfords for more than 40 years and has previously defended footballers in assault cases and British troops against war crime allegations.
When Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was relocated to Sandringham, it was said he received "appropriate private provision" to make sure he had enough funds to live on.
Responding to his arrest, the King said in a statement: "the law must take its course."