King Charles can still command Prince Andrew to leave Royal Lodge in a brutal blow for the Duke of York, a royal commentator has claimed.
The Duke of York stepped down from royal life after his infamous Newsnight interview in 2019, but Queen Elizabeth II’s son still lives at Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate.
However, a new book has revealed that King Charles has cut Andrew off financially, which may lead to the duke being ousted from Royal Lodge.
In Robert Hardman’s updated version of “Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story”, he shared that King Charles has taken away his brother’s allowance, writing: “The duke is no longer a financial burden on the King.”
King Charles can still command Prince Andrew to leave in brutal blow for Duke of York
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While the Duke of York might no longer get money from his older brother, he appears to be unwilling to vacate Royal Lodge, which is not covered by the security perimeter surrounding Windsor Castle.
Andrew, like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, lost his right to taxpayer-funded security after being stripped of his royal duties.
Until recently, the cost of his home’s police team was being covered privately by Queen Elizabeth II, and later King Charles.
Royal commentator Hugo Vickers explained that King Charles is likely not “being vindictive to his brother” by asking him to leave.
Prince Andrew spends the majority of his time at Royal Lodge in WindsorPABut, if the Duke of York “proves to be obstinate and refuses to go then I imagine things will get worse,” he said, noting the pair are not particularly close.
He continued to tell The Sun: “There’s nothing to stop the King actually commanding that he should leave Royal Lodge.”
Vickers added that “the ideal situation would of course be that Andrew would volunteer to down-size and move somewhere else”.
He noted that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s former home, Frogmore Cottage, was an “ideal” option.
Prince Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge with Sarah Ferguson since 2003GettyLATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Prince Andrew and King Charles are locked in crunch talks over Royal LodgePA
Prince Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, since 2004.
Vickers added that Andrew is still “living at Royal Lodge, playing golf, seeing his children and grandchildren and riding in the park and it is expensive.”
The property, which is in significant need of repairs due to mould and other damage, requires a large amount of upkeep, something Andrew “probably can’t afford to do”, Vickers claimed.
He explained: “It does indeed look as though he’s just holding the fort and refusing to do the repairs, refusing to go.”