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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will be celebrating his 66th birthday tomorrow, February 19, which will make him eligible for a state pension worth approximately £7,000 annually.
The former Duke of York does not qualify for it due to his royal status but rather due to the UK pension system, as he served in the Royal Navy for two decades, during which he made National Insurance (NI) contributions between 1979 and 2001.
While members of the Royal Family typically cannot access the state pension, Andrew's 22 years of military service entitle him to claim the weekly payments.
Tomorrow, he will mark his official transition to pensioner status, though sources indicate his birthday will not see any grand celebrations the ex-prince is used to.
After being forced to move out of Royal Lodge, Andrew is settling into his new life, out of the spotlight, at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, where King Charles is reportedly covering the expenses.
His weekly state pension will be £135, lower than the entitled £151, due to his existing military pension from the Navy, which provides him with £20,000 each year.
The annual state pension payment therefore amounts to £7,034 once the reduction is applied.
Moreover, Andrew now qualifies for a London Freedom Pass, granting him complimentary travel on buses and the Underground across the capital.
