Prince Andrew to be 'evicted' from 30-room royal mansion, as King Charles tells him 'use your own money to pay for things'
19 February 2023, 07:28
Prince Andrew is preparing to move out of his royal residence in the grounds of Windsor Castle, after King Charles slashed his income.
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Andrew has lived in the Royal Lodge, which has a 98-acre estate, since 2003, when he secured a 75-year lease.
But the property is expensive to keep up and already in need of repairs - and Charles is planning to cut Andrew's £249,000 annual allowance, according to reports.
That means that Andrew will not be able to maintain the Royal Lodge, and will have to move out instead.
“It feels as though his brother wishes to evict him," a source told the Sun. "Andrew and Sarah are distraught they have been given such short notice.
“The Queen died only a few months ago.
"He’s not being explicitly kicked out but it’s expected that he won’t be able to afford the maintenance.
“Royal Lodge has a swimming pool, 98 acres of land and is already in need of some repair.”
The Duke of York will now only have his navy pension to rely on, with business investments not delivering much income.
But the King said he would not let his brother become homeless.
"This is about Charles telling Andrew he can use his own money to pay for things," a source close to the monarch said.
“The same goes for other members of the family, such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
“And while there is leniency with working members of the family, who have offices funded by the Sovereign Grant, there have been other examples.”
The source added: “Charles doesn’t feel he should pay for the upkeep of ponies to pull the carriage.
“He knows the public won’t want to see money wasted — particularly in the current climate.”
What's next for Prince Andrew?
It is unclear where Andrew and his extensive teddy bear collection will move next.
His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has been living with him in the Royal Lodge since 2008, bought a £5 million house in Mayfair, in west London, but this is unlikely to be suitable for Andrew's horses and dogs.
Andrew was kicked out of Buckingham Palace after the Queen died, and stripped of taxpayer-funded armed police guard, although the King agreed to pay for private security.
The Duke also had a house, Sunninghill in Berkshire, as a wedding present from the Queen, but had later sold it to the billionaire son-in-law of the Kazakh president for £15 million.
