Will the dispute over the Royal Lodge flare up again? Prince Andrew (64) refused to move out of his home in Windsor last year. The “Daily Mirror” reported in October 2023 about an agreement between King Charles III. (75) and his younger brother. The disgraced Duke of York is said to have assured that he can raise the necessary funds to carry out urgently needed repairs worth around 2.3 million euros to the 30-room royal property. This is said to have ensured his stay in the property.
But the Daily Mirror now reports that Andrew has not yet had necessary repairs made. Photos are said to show, among other things, that the cracks in the masonry have worsened and the exterior paint is said to have peeled off. “The Duke of York has a clear responsibility for the maintenance of the Royal Lodge estate, which he is clearly not fulfilling,” a source told the British daily. “The condition of the residence will be of great concern to the King after everything that has happened and been discussed regarding the house.” Prince Andrew was told that he must take responsibility for the necessary renovations, otherwise there is no reason , why he should stay in the house.
According to his lease agreement, the son of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) and Prince Philip (1921-2021) has the right to continue living in the 30-room Royal Lodge until 2078. But a simmering conflict arose between Andrew and Charles over the Royal Lodge last year. The monarch is said to have initially suggested to his brother to leave the property immediately in order to move to the smaller – and, above all, newly renovated – Frogmore Cottage, which was previously occupied by Prince Harry (39) and Duchess Meghan (42).
In order to allegedly exert pressure, Charles Andrew canceled an annual payment of around 300,000 euros. Without the money, British aristocratic experts reported at the time, Andrew simply could no longer afford the Royal Lodge. But the prince refused to leave the Royal Lodge. It was originally reported that Andrew, who was discredited due to his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (1953-2019), must have left the Royal Lodge by September 2023. It is not known what his exact finances are. In February 2022, an out-of-court settlement was reached in the Epstein scandal. Andrew is said to have paid Virginia Giuffre (40) a sum in the millions.
In May 2020, the disgraced Prince Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. In January 2022, Andrew was forced to relinquish his titles and patronage and has since no longer been called “His Royal Highness”.
