The royal feud over Prince Andrew’s residence at Royal Lodge is heating up, with an expert suggesting King Charles might “swipe treasures” from his brother’s home.
On the podcast Palace Confidential, biographer Richard Hardman remarked: “The Royal Collection, which owns quite a lot of the treasures inside there, may say, ‘Well we can’t be confident that this place is safe anymore,’ and they’ll start taking the paintings and the some of the furniture away.” Prince Andrew, who has lived in the 30-room mansion since signing a 75-year lease in 2003, shares the space with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Despite their divorce, the pair maintain a close bond.
The Queen Mother previously occupied the Windsor Great Park estate for many years. Amidst reports that King Charles wants to evict his brother, Prince Andrew remains determined to stay put.
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Although the lease is with the Crown Estate and not directly with Charles, concerns have been raised about how Prince Andrew will manage the expenses for the Grade II listed building, especially after his £1 million annual allowance was allegedly slashed by the King.
Charles is reportedly urging Andrew to downsize to a more manageable property, considering his non-working Royal status. The Duke stepped back from duties in 2019 following a controversial Newsnight interview about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein – an encounter widely regarded as disastrous, the Mirror reported.
Frogmore Cottage – the former UK residence of Harry and Meghan – has been suggested as a potential home for Andrew and Sarah. This idea was originally proposed by Queen Elizabeth, according to Robert Hardman’s book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story.
“Had she lived another year, he would have been out” an insider is quoted as saying in the book. “It was her plan to move him out, to end the lease for the Sussexes at Frogmore Cottage, and to move Andrew in there. It was mainly a money thing, as she could see it was becoming unsustainable.”
Despite apparent financial cut-off by the monarch, new reports suggest that Andrew has found a new way to support himself.
Andrew has “negotiated a cheaper protection deal at his leased home which he refuses to leave. His plan is believed to be bankrolled by Middle East money,” reports the Sun on Sunday. The source added: “He has his security but at a cheaper rate and he is managing to finance it himself.”
A source raised concerns to Hardman regarding Prince Andrew’s future finances, saying, “He claims to have found other sources of income related to his contacts in international trade, sufficient to cover all his costs which would be a welcome outcome for all parties if that turns out to be the case. But as to whether this funding can be relied upon in the long term is another matter.”