King Charles’ Unexpected Stance on Prince Andrew’s Royal Lodge Dilemma!
Contrary to previous reports suggesting that King Charles III might evict Prince Andrew from the Royal Lodge, a royal insider has revealed that the King never had intentions of removing his younger brother from his long-standing residence, which would effectively end his royalties.
While it is clear that Prince Andrew will not undertake any further royal duties, the specifics of his living situation remain uncertain. Prince Andrew took up residence at Royal Lodge in 2002 after the passing of the late Queen Mother. That year, he secured a 75-year lease on the property from the Crown Estate, relocating his family from their previous residence near Ascot.
According to a report by Daily Express, the Royal Lodge is one of the largest residences on the Windsor Estate, and King Charles reportedly had concerns about the optics of allowing Prince Andrew to continue residing in the sprawling 30-bedroom mansion.
Addressing the speculation surrounding the King’s intentions to remove Andrew from his home, an insider informed the Telegraph, “It’s not accurate to say the King is attempting to evict him. He will have delegated this responsibility to his team, tasking them with rationalizing the properties. This would have been the directive sent to his team.”
The source elaborated, “The King is quite practical. He understands that his brother needs a place to live, and he cares for his brother, so he was never planning to kick him out abruptly.”
In 2019, Prince Andrew was compelled to step down from his royal duties due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual misconduct with Virginia Roberts Giuffre when she was 17. Prince Andrew has consistently denied these allegations, which first surfaced in April 2015.
In January 2022, Prince Andrew’s military titles and royal patronages were returned to Queen Elizabeth II, and he was stripped of his HRH (His Royal Highness) status. This decision was prompted by a US civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault. However, Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms. Giuffre the following month without admitting guilt.
It is understood that as part of this agreement, Prince Andrew was allowed to continue residing at the Royal Lodge, provided he managed its maintenance and upkeep. Currently, Prince Andrew has limited income, as King Charles reduced his annual allowance of £249,000.
The likelihood is that Prince Andrew, along with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who still resides at the property, will eventually face financial constraints and seek alternative, smaller accommodations.