Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams has highlighted the “abundantly clear” problems facing Prince Andrew as questions swirl about his continued residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Fitzwilliams addressed the ongoing speculation about the Duke of York’s £30million mansion, where he lives with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The royal expert pointed to serious challenges facing Andrew in maintaining the property, noting the difficulties of “how you remove somebody who’s absolutely determined to stay.”
The situation has become increasingly complex as mystery surrounds how the duke is funding his stay at the royal residence.
Richard said it is clear Andrew will struggle with the maintenance
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Speaking to GB News, he said: “It’s abundantly clear that it would be very difficult for him to keep up the property, which is huge, of course, in the style that the lease demands.
“The problem, however, is how you remove somebody who’s absolutely determined to stay. And one of the difficulties in all the speculation that’s gone on about this is that we simply don’t know how much money Andrew has.
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“And also, it was reported two years ago that Sarah Ferguson, his devoted ex-wife who lives with him in Royal Lodge, had bought a property in Mayfair for some £2m.
“It showed that they had some money, and also there was a chateau, a place in Verbier that apparently he sold for £19m. There have been reports that there have been donors.
“Now, we know that Andrew has had some very, very horrifyingly dodgy friends in the past. No one would dispute that.
“However, nobody knows exactly where he’s getting the money to stay, and we don’t know how much money he’s got.
Prince Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge for almost 20 yearsGetty
“Hence the fact that it would appear at the moment that he is staying.”
King Charles has reportedly cut off Andrew’s £1m annual allowance and ceased funding his £3m-a-year security costs amid the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
The Duke faces annual costs of £260,000 in rent and approximately £400,000 in maintenance for the 30-bedroom property.
Despite these financial pressures, Andrew continues to occupy Royal Lodge under a 75-year lease that began approximately 20 years ago.
Prince Andrew pictured horseriding near his home in Windsor, Royal LodgeGetty
Reports suggest the King had wanted the Yorks to relocate to Frogmore Cottage, the former residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, Andrew appears determined to maintain his tenancy, having reportedly secured funding from an unidentified benefactor.
Fitzwilliams emphasised that 2023 has been “a traumatic year” for the Royal Family, with both King Charles and the Princess of Wales battling cancer.
The situation has been further complicated by Queen Camilla reportedly suffering from “a form of pneumonia.”
“It really is not in the interests of the King to have further problems with Andrew and Sarah Ferguson,” Fitzwilliams told GB News.