Prince Andrew is now a royal without a role. But who is paying?

Prince Andrew’s decision to step back from public duties begs a question: What does a prince without a royal role actually do? And, more importantly for British taxpayers: Who pays for it?

The answer: No one knows for sure.

Prince Andrew, whose royal title is His Royal Highness The Duke of York, is the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and a brother of Prince Charles. He is also the first royal to step down since Edward VIII abdicated over his relationship with American divorcee Wallis Simpson in 1936.

Prince Andrew is seen in August 2017.

Prince Andrew was born February 19, 1960, as the second son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Prince Andrew sits on his father's lap during a holiday in Scotland in September 1960. At left is his sister, Princess Anne. At right, next to the Queen, is his brother Prince Charles.

The royal family poses for photos in 1968. Prince Andrew is at bottom right. He is joined by his parents and his three siblings, including his younger brother, Prince Edward.

The Queen looks at a photo album with Andrew, left, and Edward in 1971.

From left, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew attend an equestrian event in 1972.

Prince Andrew is photographed on his 18th birthday in 1978.

Prince Andrew receives a Green Beret award at an event in 1980. He served in the British Royal Navy for 22 years and was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War.

Prince Andrew is second from right in this photo taken at the 1981 wedding of his brother Prince Charles.

Prince Andrew poses next to a helicopter in 1982.

Girls line up to give flowers to Prince Andrew as he arrives in Portsmouth, England, for an event in 1983.

The prince is face to face with a cow during a royal tour of Canada in 1985.

In July 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. They were the ultimate "It" couple of the late 1980s. Their wedding drew a TV audience of hundreds of millions.

Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, visit Canada in 1987. Ferguson, a commoner, was said to bring a breath of fresh air to the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of York pose during their Canadian holiday in 1987.

The couple holds their first child, Beatrice, in 1988. They had two children together before their high-profile divorce in 1996.

Prince Andrew holds hands with his two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, after arriving for a dinner in London in 1997.

The prince lines up a putt during a celebrity golf tournament in 1998.

Prince Andrew attends a party with girlfriend Aurelia Cecil in 1999.

Prince Andrew poses with Donald Trump and Trump's future wife, Melania, at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000.

The prince attends a Formula 1 party in London in 2000.

Prince Andrew visits the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, England, in 2006.

Prince Andrew, back left, poses with his parents and his siblings for a family photo in 2007.

Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein walk through New York's Central Park in 2011.

The prince was installed as chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in 2015.

Prince Andrew and his parents watch horse racing in Epsom, England, in 2016.

Princess Eugenie is accompanied by her father during her wedding in 2018.

Prince Andrew talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, which took place in London in November 2019.

In pictures: Britain's Prince Andrew

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“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support,” the prince said in a statement on Wednesday.

Royal commentators suggested that the Duke of York’s move became inevitable after the controversial BBC interview.

“He has been allowed to resign, but I’m sure it’s been made clear that he would have been forced out because he’s become a national embarrassment,” said Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator.

What will he do?

Prince Andrew’s official role, until Wednesday, was to support the Queen in her work, for example by attending events on her behalf.

That part of his life is over. While he will still likely attend the “family” events, such as the Trooping the Colour ceremony marking the Queen’s birthday or her Christmas celebrations at Sandringham, he won’t be cutting ribbons or attending charity events on her behalf.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that he is really without a role, it’s an early retirement,” Fitzwilliams said.

Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York, attends a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Bruges on September 7, 2019 in Bruges. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article More companies are ditching Prince Andrew

It’s not the first time Andrew has lost a role over Epstein.

Following his retirement from the Navy, he had carved out a function for himself as a champion of British businesses, traveling the world promoting the British brand.

But he was forced to quit as the UK’s special representative for trade and investment after he was photographed with Epstein in Central Park in 2010. At that time Epstein was a registered sex offender who had served 13 months in prison on prostitution-related charges.

Andrew continued to support business in the UK informally, through several initiatives and charities. While many of these are now parting ways with him, he appears to be clinging on some.

Buckingham Palace said Thursday that the Prince would continue working on his Pitch@Palace project in a private capacity and without the backing of the Palace.

The program was set up in 2014, with the aim of connecting entrepreneurs with business people who could help develop their ideas.

What happens to his allowance?

Like all full-time working royals, the prince was getting a living allowance from the Queen.

Related article Prince Andrew interview is a PR nightmare and a national joke

Some of the money came from the so-called Sovereign Grant which is given to the Queen by the government every year to cover the costs of travel, security, staff and the upkeep of royal palaces.

However, most of his income was funded from the Queen’s Duchy of Lancaster, a private estate of commercial, agricultural and residential properties that dates back to 1265.

The Duchy produced ￡21.7 million ($28 million) in income for the Queen during the most recent fiscal year. The palace doesn’t release any detailed data though, so it is unclear how much was Andrew getting.

The palace did not respond to a request for that information.

Where will he live?

The prince currently lives in the Royal Lodge in Windsor. The historical building used to be the home of the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret.

It is not unheard of for royals who are not working for the “firm” full-time to live in an official royal residence.

And what about the wedding?

Princess Beatrice, Andrew’s daughter, is getting married next year. As the father of the bride, Andrew is expected to play a major role in the wedding.

However, Fitzwilliams said it will now be more difficult for Beatrice to have the kind of high-profile televised wedding her sister Eugenie had last year.