Prince Andrew under pressure from King Charles III to vacate his home of 20 years

There is mounting pressure being put upon Prince Andrew to move out of his 30-bedroom Royal Lodge “home” on the Windsor estate. The 98-acre property was leased by the troubled Duke of York for a 75-year period following the death of the Queen Mother back in 2002.

Currently, he relies heavily on an annual allowance to get by but his brother, King Charles III, has significantly reduced that grant and as a consequence, it is making it almost impossible for him to maintain the huge property.

He is said to be “refusing to budge” and believes the King might even cut off the utilities to force him out. It is understood that long-term plan is for the Prince and Princess of Wales to move into the imposing lodge.

Scandal at the root of problem

The Prince’s much publicised problems following his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre sex scandal, saw him step down as a working royal in 2019. Since then he has been vilified in the media and has become something of an embarrassment to his elder brother, who has slimmed down the monarchy’s spending, part of which has drastically affected Andrew’s allowance.

Separated but still “living” together

Charles has reportedly let it be known that Andrew should leave the house, where he lives with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. They live in separate wings of the Lodge, but the Duke is apparently digging his heels in, although his associates say his fear that the threat from the King to cut off the electricity is very real.

He is said to be extremely fragile at present and is concerned that now that the Coronation is over, things could escalate.

Harry’s old house awaits

The plan as far as the royals are concerned is for Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage, previously the home of Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but with that property being significantly smaller with just five bedrooms, it would be far more challenging for Andrew and Sarah to continue to live together.

Additional time given

Initially it was understood that the Yorks had been instructed to vacate the magnificent mansion by September of this year, but officials have now conceded that such a date is an unrealistic timescale to keep. Now Prince Andrew is thought to be seeking a face-to-face confrontation with the King to try and resolve the issue amicably, and find a solution to satisfy all parties.

Lodge lined up for William and family

With Prince William and his family earmarked for the Lodge, it is certainly a case of when, not if, the Duke of York moves out, but under what circumstances is currently extremely delicate.

A balancing act is needed and Charles is still thought to be hugely disappointed in his brother’s antics which have brought shame to the royals. However, he knows what an important role the Duchess of York continues to play in holding that side of the family together, so would not want to make it impossible for that to continue.

Additionally, he will be aware that Princess Euginie is pregnant and will not wish to bring about any unnecessary stress in that regard.

Brotherly chat is sought

Andrew is believed to be frustrated that talks are between officials and not brothers. He naturally feels a more positive outcome in his favour could be achieved were the siblings to sit down and talk thing through, rather than having to face bureaucracy.

He is said to be willing to consider a compromise, but it is unknown whether the King is feeling so charitable. It promises to be a difficult summer for Prince Andrew, for whom troubled times simply seem to follow him.