Prince Andrew appears to be on a tight leash with King Charles.
But that is not stopping the Duke of York from finding a way to continue residing at the stately Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion he shares with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
In fact, one royal watcher says Prince Andrew is “shoving two fingers up” at King Charles as he refuses to downsize his living quarters to Frogmore Cottage, a four-bedroom and four-bathroom single-residence home that was officially vacated last year by Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan.
“It’s dishonouring (the Queen Mother’s) memory,” Christopher Wilson told Britain’s The Sun of Andrew’s late grandmother, who lived at Royal Lodge until her death in 2002. Prince Andrew moved in two years later.
“It’s shoving up two fingers at King Charles. The state of his mind is reflected in the state of his home.”
The mansion is in need of extensive repairs as cracks, mold and flaking paint can be seen on the building’s exterior walls, according to reports.
The news of Prince Andrew’s refusal to leave comes just days after reports suggested that King Charles had ended his brother’s yearly allowance, said to be in the neighbourhood of $1.8 million.
“The Duke is no longer a financial burden on the King,” a source told Britain’s Daily Mail.
While the ball is now in Prince Andrew’s court, it appears the disgraced royal is digging in his heels while the residence is in need of urgent renovations and repairs.
“It is falling all around him,” Wilson said. “He doesn’t care anymore.”
According to a report last month in Britain’s Express, the repair costs for the property has exceeded $3.6 million.
The report said the Duke of York has until the end of the year to prove that he has the funds to cover the needed repairs.
“It’s the closest Andrew has come to being evicted since he was asked to step down as a working royal two years ago,” the source said.