Prince Andrew
Charles lets him stay in the Royal Lodge
Prince Andrew (l.) and his brother, King Charles III, appear to have settled their dispute.
© imago images/i Images
A royal dispute appears to have finally been settled. Prince Andrew is now allowed to stay in his Royal Lodge.
There is finally an agreement: Prince Andrew (63) does not have to move! King Charles III (74) has allowed him to stay in the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle indefinitely. The British newspaper “The Mirror” reports on a corresponding agreement between the monarch 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.
A conflict that had been simmering for months arose between Andrew and Charles over the Royal Lodge. 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 it became known in the summer that Andrew had spent more than 230,000 euros on roof repairs. The action was described by observers as an “interim payment” to Charles and seen as an indication that Andrew would stay. However, the house, which is a listed building, still needs massive and expensive renovations, among other things because of moisture throughout the building.
As part of the King’s plans to downsize the monarchy, Andrew was encouraged to move. But the prince rejected the offer and refused to leave the Royal Lodge, which he still shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson (63) despite his divorce 27 years ago. According to media reports, Charles would have wanted heir to the throne Prince William (41) and his family to move into the Royal Lodge.
Discussions about Prince Andrew’s place of residence began while the Queen was still alive
Immediately after the coronation, Prince Andrew feared that his brother would immediately “take out his knives,” according to an insider and friend of Andrew’s. 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.
Discussions about the property began during the lifetime of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). After Megxit, i.e. Meghan and Harry’s move to the USA, the talks picked up speed because a previously occupied property belonging to the British royal family suddenly became vacant.