Prince Andrew 'will not quit Royal Lodge mansion and believes King Charles won't force him out by turning off the power'
20 May 2023, 07:28 | Updated: 20 May 2023, 18:28
Prince Andrew has no intention of leaving the Royal Lodge in Windsor and believes King Charles cannot kick him out, a source close to the duke has claimed.
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Andrew is said to be under pressure to downsize from the 30-room estate down to Frogmore Cottage, previously used by Prince Harry and Meghan, but is refusing to leave.
A close associate of the duke's said he believes his older brother cannot force him to leave because the lease with the Crown Estate is in his name, instead of the royal family's.
The source added that the lease has up to 90 years left on it.
"That's not a matter for the King. It's a matter for the chancellor of the exchequer," they told The Times.
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"The only way you could get him to move out would be through an arrangement — he would have to agree."
They added there was "no foundation" to claims the duke could have his electricity cut off in a bid to force him out.
The source said that would not make the King a "very popular person within the family" and there are "other members of the family who would not want to see a member kicked out".
Andrew is no longer engaged in royal duties after his disastrous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019.
He eventually settled with his accuser Virginia Giuffre for a sum thought to be in the region of £3m. The duke vehemently denied the claims.
Royal biographer Tom Bower believed the upkeep of the Royal Lodge and its land would be about £1m, with staff costs adding to that.
It is believed Andrew gets an annual payment of £250,000, as well as a £20,000 Royal Navy pension. It is unknown what the Queen left him after her death.
Mr Bower believed the lease being in Andrew's name would not be enough to keep him at the mansion.
"All crown leases have termination clauses, for example if you’re not paying for upkeep in a way they think desirable," he said.
"So I would think the lease won't protect him forever. They can always say the paintwork isn't good enough. That's how he can be winkled out."
The source said with Andrew no longer involved in royal duties, he would not require as much staff.
“What people don't understand is that this is a guy who doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, has never taken drugs," the source added.
"He goes to bed early and he gets up early. He's very regimented. This is not what the readers of the Daily Mail would like to hear because the honest truth doesn’t sell newspapers."
