‘Real reason’ King Charles wants to evict Prince Andrew from Royal Lodge And What Queen Camilla Wants
There is speculation the Royal Lodge could be home to another royal in future if Prince Andrew is evicted.
There is speculation the Royal Lodge could be home to another royal in future if Prince Andrew is evicted from his home in Windsor. Last year it emerged that Prince Andrew, 64, could not meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep costs of the 30-bedroom home, which is thought to be worth £30million and now King Charles is said to be withdrawing private funding for security on the estate which currently costs £3 million a year.
This means that unless the Duke of York can generate the financial resources to pay for repairs the property needs, as well as foot the security bill, he could be faced with being evicted from the property. The Daily Mail’s diary editor has claimed there could be another reason for planning to remove Andrew from his home. Writing in his column for the Daily Mail he said: “Intriguingly, more than one friend of the Yorks has suggested the same theory to me as to why this eviction ‘campaign’ has begun: could it be that the King sees Royal Lodge as a potential future home for Queen Camilla, were she to outlive him?”
He also reports the Crown Estate has taken the view that it would be appropriate for the property to remain under the occupancy of the Royal Family. Back in 2003, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson paid £1million for a 75-year lease on the property. The couple, who divorced in 1996, live together at Royal Lodge, albeit occupying different wings of the vast property. The Duke and Duchess of York are currently at Balmoral Castle with King Charles for the annual summer retreat. Richard Eden speaking on Palace Confidential also mentioned there could be a “tense atmosphere” at Balmoral, where the brothers are residing for summer.
He said: “The crown estate owns the property, there’s no great reason to get rid of him other than the costs of security which the King is paying for. But, the King has a lot of money and it just seems petty that he is trying to get rid of him.” While the royals enjoy their grouse shooting, salmon fishing and picnics in Scotland in what Princess Eugenie has called “the most beautiful place on earth”, the subject is likely to be discussed between the two brothers. The King has been paying for private guards at the 31-room mansion, which was the Queen Mother’s home until her death, since Andrew’s £3million-a-year armed protection officers were removed in 2022.
That was after Andrew “stepped back” from royal duties following his interview with the BBC’s Newsnight programme over his alleged connections with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. ‘Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal’ was aired on Newsnight on the BBC in November 2019, and also questioned the Prince’s relationship with Virginia Roberts Giuffre who alleged he sexually assaulted her.
The Duke consistently and vehemently denies the allegations. He reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia, who had brought a civil case against the Prince for sexual assault. The settlement was not an admission of guilt and Andrew accepted no liability. No longer a working royal, Prince Andrew has since lost his HRH status, was stripped of his military titles and patronages and has stepped down from royal duties following the interview.
