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King Charles once rejected a “bizarre” request from his brother Andrew to pay £32,000 for spiritual Indian gurus to treat him while staying at his home, a royal biographer has claimed. According to author Robert Jobson, the King was “horrified” by the proposal and immediately blocked it, despite the late Queen Elizabeth II previously “passing the request through.” Writing in his new book The Windsor Legacy: A Royal Dynasty, Mr Jobson said that the King's refusal of his brother's request signalled a new, more business-like approach to how royal funds are spent. He wrote: “The palace began to shift, not loudly, but unmistakably. His mark was there, quiet but undeniable. ‘This isn’t about financial cuts,’ one senior insider explained. ‘It’s about getting value for money and efficiency. Sometimes less truly is more.’” The move is said to be part of a wider effort by the monarch to reshape the Royal Household and enforce financial discipline among family members. “The King isn’t running a housing association for distant relatives,” another source said bluntly, referring to his determination to reduce the number of royals reliant on his patronage. Charles’s stance on Andrew reflects a continued effort to distance the monarchy from the controversies that have dogged the former Duke of York since his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein . On Thursday, November 6, the King officially stripped his disgraced brother of both his HRH style and his princely title following claims that he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by the financier. He has strenuously denied the allegations. The King’s insistence on accountability and restraint has extended beyond his brother. The eviction of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from Frogmore Cottage , a Crown Estate property gifted to them by the late Queen, was also part of this tightening of royal resources. “Their loss of a British base, announced soon after the publication of Prince Harry ’s memoir Spare, is described as ‘the tip of the iceberg’. The message is clear: no freeloaders in the modern monarchy.” Charles has reportedly also instructed aides to rein in spending from both the Duchy of Lancaster and the Sovereign Grant, focusing instead on “smarter use of resources.” His priority, according to the author, is to direct funds towards areas that strengthen the institution — such as competitive pay and pensions to retain top-tier staff. A senior source told the author: “There have been staff cutbacks. That started straight away. The buzz phrase in the household now is ‘value for money.’” King Charles III has kept his promise of slimming down the monarchy by saving the public purse more than £20 million. In 2023–24, the overall net expenditure funded by the Sovereign Grant fell by 17 percent to £89.1 million, compared to a record high the previous year when the Royal Family spent more than £107 million. The Royal Family's official net expenditure for the 2024–25 financial year was £85.2 million — a 4 percent decrease, or £3.9 million, compared to the previous year.
