It’s been reported that Prince Andrew’s Royal Lodge could be offered to Prince William and Princess Kate – but according to one expert there are two other contenders
The battle over Royal Lodge rages on. King Charles is said to be ramping up the pressure on Prince Andrew to vacate his large home – and it could instead be handed over to a surprising royal pair.
It was previously reported that Prince William and Kate will be offered the royal residence as a family home with their three children. However, experts have noted that the couple currently seem to be very happy and settled at their current residence, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Great Park.
What is more, Adelaide Cottage has been set up as a family house and there are no live-in staff. Moving into the vast Royal Lodge would mean having to accommodate domestic staff, something William and Kate are said to have resisted.
With that in mind, Charles could give the 30-room mansion to another prominent couple.
Gareth Russell, a royal author, spoke exclusively to GB News about who would be best suited to move in. He noted Royal Lodge’s high-profile history – it was the last home of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother – and the fact it has traditionally been assigned to senior royals.
He said: “The logical choice, of course, would be the Prince and Princess of Wales, but they’ve shown relatively little interest in moving home again. They seem quite content where they are. It could be the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.”
Edward and Sophie have lived at Bagshot Park ever since their wedding in 1999. The Grade II-listed building is set within 51 acres of land and has a whopping 120 rooms after it was demolished and rebuilt in 1879.
Whether they chose to up sticks and move remains to be seen. But there is another option, according to Russell.
“It could also be that this is part of another move by the King to slim down or shake up the royal property portfolio. It’s not the case that we’re seeing them being replaced by other royals as much as they were in the past. So it may be that Royal Lodge is just put to different use once Prince Andrew leaves. It’s possible that no one will go into Royal Lodge.”
King Charles is said to be urging his younger brother to downsize to Frogmore Cottage – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former home. But it’s believed Andrew is unwilling to leave the property and has rejected alternate accommodations as he remains reliant on a “cast-iron lease”.
But King Charles could cut off the £4million a year which the Duke receives – essentially forcing Andrew to leave Royal Lodge behind. The vast property could then be handed back to the Crown Estates, which could fund much-needed repairs and then rent it out at £1million a year.
An insider told The Sun: “It makes sense for Royal Lodge to be handed back to Crown Estates, which can pay for the much-needed repairs and renovations. It could then be rented to earn money for them, the King’s coffers and the country rather than being a drain on everyone’s resources.”
Charles reportedly turned up the heat on the disgraced Duke last month following claims he could not meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep. But Andrew is said to now be exploring the option of leasing the lodge to his ex-wife Fergie, or daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
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.”
Sarah Ferguson recently responded to claims that the pair had been asked to vacate Royal Lodge. Discussing the situation on Good Morning Britain, she said: “I’m a very lucky guest… but I tend not to get involved in brothers’ discussions and I think that’s the safest place to be. Let the brothers discuss it themselves.”
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