Prince Andrew’s armed protection police team is reportedly set to be replaced by private security officers who will only be permitted to use Tasers.

The Sun on Sunday (19.12.22) also said King Charles, 74, may now personally foot the estimated £3 million-a-year bill for his younger brother’s new team of bodyguards.

It comes a year after the 62-year-old Duke of York was stripped of his official royal roles and HRH title after he settled a sexual abuse case with his accuser Virginia Giuffre, without admitting liability and strongly denying her allegations he had sex with her when she was a teenager while in the clutches of paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The Sun on Sunday said: “Buckingham Palace refused to say whether the King would fund his brother’s private guards, mostly ex-Met cops, and use his £24million a year Duchy of Lancaster income.”

They also refused to comment on security matters of the royal family.

Former Home Office minister Norman Baker said: “Armed protection has always been a status symbol for the likes of Prince Andrew.

“Of course he should pay it himself and not burden the taxpayer because he is a private individual and carries out no public duties.”

Andrew had been entitled to a taxpayer-funded security detail of armed police officers who guarded him on visits outside Windsor in Berkshire, and was reportedly left fuming when reports emerged he would be stripped of the entitlement.