Prince Andrew set to remain in Windsor mansion with Fergie and Queen's corgis but fears eviction

22 September 2022, 08:59 | Updated: 22 September 2022, 09:18

Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will remain at their lavish Windsor mansion in the near future looking after the Queen's corgis but fear they could be "kicked out" in King Charles's shake-up of the Royal Family

The Duke of York is said to be expecting a letter giving him notice to leave Royal Lodge, a 31-bedroom property he leases from the Crown Estate, at some point in the future.

The concerns come as Charles begins his reign and is set to follow through on his promises to streamline the monarchy.

As part of this is thought there will be a review into the Crown's vast property portfolio, which covers 500,000-plus acres of land, and how it is being used.

This review could lead to the decision to kick Andrew out of the mansion he shares with his ex-wife and the corgis which used to belong to his late mother.

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The Sun reports that while he is safe for the immediate future he might be told to leave at some point.

It is thought that the royal would be owed a significant amount of money if told to leave the house as he signed a preferential but undisclosed 100-year lease on the property, which used to belong to the late Queen Mother, that could entitle him to up to £7million if severed by the Crown.

The late Queen's third child has been largely shut away from the public eye in recent years for his association with Jeffrey Epstein and subsequent civil case involving one of the deceased paedophile's victims.

While Andrew settled the case in the US without accepting guilt, he was stripped of his royal and military titles and has been forced away from the spotlight at the behest of King Charles III and his son Prince William.

Andrew does not own any property of his own, apart an £18million ski chalet he so disastrously bought with his ex-wife in Verbier five years ago. Despite accepting an offer a year ago it has still not been sold.

An insider told the paper Andrew, who was considered to be "under the protection of the Queen" would not be removed from Royal Lodge in the near future as it would 'seem callous to throw them out so soon after she died'.

They added: "But if he's doing no duties and rattling around a £30million mansion during the cost-of-living crisis, then it's a terrible look."

A spokesman for the Duke of York did not comment.