Prince Andrew 'does not want' to downsize to Frogmore Cottage after King throws out Harry and Meghan

2 March 2023, 13:37

Prince Andrew does not want to move into Frogmore Cottage, after the King threw out Harry and Meghan and suggested his brother move in instead.

It would represent a downsizing for the Duke of York, who is said to be reluctant to leave the 30-room Royal Lodge.

He has told friends he was worried he would not be able to afford the upkeep on the mansion on the grounds of Windsor Castle if his £250,000 grant gets cut.

He has been offered the smaller, five-bedroom Frogmore Cottage after the King booted out the Sussexes in the wake of Harry's bombshell memoir Spare.

But he is resisting the move, according to MailOnline.

It comes after a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan confirmed on Wednesday evening: "We can confirm The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage."

The couple was given the property by the Queen as a wedding present in 2018.

Read more: Inside Frogmore Cottage: The house at the centre of royal scandal

After stepping down from their royal duties in 2020, they paid back the cost of the renovations on the cottage and leased it for several years, despite moving to the US. They now live in California.

But they were evicted just 24 hours after the release of Spare, which contained a number of accusations against senior royals, including the King.

Read more: Harry and Meghan admit they've been asked to 'vacate' UK residence Frogmore Cottage, with Prince Andrew set to move in

Andrew was reported to have been "appalled" by the decision.

"There is now a clear dividing line between the working members of the Royal Family and the non-working members like the Yorks and Sussexes," an insider claimed to the Sun.

Andrew is set to lose some of the £250,000-a-year funding he gets as part of a revamp of royal finances. He has already had to sell of a ski chalet worth millions to cover the costs of settling with Virginia Giuffre, a victim of the duke's friend Jeffrey Epstein.

Meanwhile, it has been suggested Harry may no longer be able to serve as a Counsellor of State, a group made up of Camilla, William, Harry and Princess Beatrice which steps in should the King need to be absent from his duties for a short period of time and a regency is not necessary.

They need to be domiciled in the UK, but this move could leave Harry without a UK address.