Prince Andrew has lived in the Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor Great Park since 2003 – but he could soon pass over the lease amid a long-running battle to keep his home
Prince Andrew seems to be refusing to budge on Royal Lodge – despite being pushed by King Charles.
The Duke of York, 64, was forced to step down from royal duties amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The disgraced royal was stripped of his military titles by the late Queen and then was hit with a second blow when Charles asked him to move out of his 30-room Windsor mansion.
The King reportedly turned up the heat on Andrew to leave Royal Lodge earlier this month, following claims his younger sibling could not meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep of the property – but he has refused to go. Now, it is understood Andrew has explored passing the lease of the lodge to his ex-wife Fergie, or daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
The Duke signed a 75-year lease in 2003 when he took over the royal residence where the late Queen Mother lived until her death in 2002. In a somewhat unusual arrangement, the Duke and Duchess of York, who divorced in 1996, have continued to live there together. Under the terms of the lease, Andrew can bequeath the lease to an “immediate family member”.
It is understood the Duke has explored the option of passing the lease to his ex-spouse or his daughters, under the terms agreed that he can bequeath the leasehold to an “acceptable trustee”. However, the mansion is in urgent need of renovation after falling into disrepair in recent years – meaning Fergie, Beatrice and Eugenie may not want to take on the burden.
The King reportedly believes his brother has no way of paying for the estimated £2million worth of repairs, including new paint jobs both inside and out as well as repairs to the crumbling roof. But scaffolding was seen being erected to the front of the property earlier this month as the Duke scrambles to show he is making the necessary improvements.
Friends of Fergie have stated she is willing to help Andrew “in any way she possibly can” but they suggest any money she has is “tied up” after purchasing a £5million townhouse in Mayfair last year. One insider told The Mirror: “The issue with Royal Lodge is it is going to cost an awful lot of money to renovate and no one is any wiser as to how the Duke will be able to meet those expenses.
“It’s very difficult to see why Beatrice or Eugenie would want the burden of taking on the lease when they would be far better investing any money they have where they would possibly get a return. That certainly wouldn’t happen with Royal Lodge so one may wonder what the point of Andrew staying there is other than vanity.”
Andrew’s finances have for years been shrouded in mystery after he was forced to pay £12million in an out-of-court settlement to Virginia Giuffre who accused him of sexual assault. It is understood the King has also threatened to strip Andrew of a £4million allowance, which includes £3million for his private security after he was forced to stand down from royal duties.
Charles has, however, offered Andrew the chance to move to the more sustainable four-bedroom Frogmore Cottage, once the UK home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Sussexes handed back their keys to the property one year ago, following renovations, and they now live in a £12million mansion in Montecito, California.
It has been claimed by sources that the Sussexes never anticipated being evicted from Frogmore, despite not being working royals. Royal author Tom Quinn told the Mirror in April: “Harry and Meghan imagined Frogmore would always be there for them even if they came back to the UK for just a few weeks each year and even if they were no longer working royals.”
While a source told The Sun in February 2023 that the Sussexes were reportedly “stunned” by the King’s decision to move Andrew into the cottage. The source, who was allegedly close to Meghan and Harry, said: “It all feels very final and like a cruel punishment. It’s like [the family] want to cut them out of the picture for good.”
