Prince Andrew's royal château is collapsing around him because the cash-strapped royal can't afford the upkeep despite pledging to his dying mother, Queen Elizabeth II, that he was up for it, a new report claimed.
Photos of the once-stately Royal Lodge, where convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's closest buddy has lived in grandeur on 100 acres for two decades, show graying paint flaking away from decrepit walls, revealing fissures in the historically significant façade.
“Prince Andrew was told he must take charge of the necessary renovations or he will have no cause to stay in the house,” an unnamed source told The National Enquirer. It went on to say that King Charles' younger brother had a "clear responsibility" to keep things clean around the house, but this "is certainly not happening!"
Prince Andrew signed a one-of-a-kind sweetheart deal on the lavish home, paying only $1.25 million down and no rent or other expenses in exchange for his vow to keep the 30-room, seven-bedroom home in good repair for an estimated $500,000 each year.
Now, Prince Andrew purportedly wanders around the quarters with only his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, 64, and their children, Princess Beatrice, 35, and Princess Eugenie, 34, for companionship.
However, King Charles, 75, has allegedly threatened that if repairs are not done, he will kick Prince Andrew out of the estate and replace him with smaller quarters more appropriate for a fallen prince who was deprived of his royal titles and duties due to his involvement in a notorious international pedophile scandal.
“The state of the residence will be of great concern to the king,” the insider said. It also noted that King Charles is in turmoil over his brother’s defying antics.
According to sources, the once-magnificent property, valued $38 million on the open market, has been deteriorating for some time, but it has gotten worse since Prince Andrew botched his response to allegations that he slept Epstein's then-underage sex slave Virginia Giuffre.
The Duke of York has rejected all claims and settled the Virginia Giuffre abuse case for an estimated $12 million, allegedly paid by his mother, as he now has no obvious source of income. Despite his settlement, Prince Andrew denied any misconduct in the case.
Nonetheless, the spoiled prince reportedly refused to leave his complimentary Shangri-La when the king attempted to force him out during a family gathering.
“Andrew is going nowhere. He has a cast-iron lease, which infuriates the king to no end. Charles is ready for Andrew to vanish off the face of the Earth,” the informant stated.
Meanwhile, the storied estate continues to rot under Prince Andrew’s nose, with relations between the brothers crumbling just as quickly.
Royal commentator Ian Pelham Turner said King Charles is having difficulty regaining control of the Grade II-listed house.
“Prince Andrew is fighting very hard to remain a senior royal. The problem is his home is in total disrepair … I believe Charles feels that spending money on Andrew would not go down well. On the other hand, it was allegedly said by the queen on her deathbed to Charles to look after Andrew, who was always thought to be her favorite son. King Charles is adamant that such a large house, especially if it needs a significant amount of money spent on it, he can only do that for William and [his] children,” Ian told Fox News.
Business Times has reached out to Prince Andrew for comments.
