King Charles has reportedly threatened to sever all ties with his brother, Prince Andrew, if the disgraced duke continues to refuse to leave his current residence, the 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor, and move into the recently vacated Frogmore Cottage. The 75-year-old monarch's patience appears to be wearing thin as Andrew, 64, shows no signs of budging from the Grade II-listed property, despite previous requests from the King to relocate.
According to a royal source who spoke to The Times, "The King's kindness is not without limit and there is a very good option for Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage, recently vacated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which also has the benefit of being within the Windsor Castle security cordon hence reducing the need for alternative round-the-clock security for Royal Lodge." The source added that Andrew is "taking longer than desirable" to "recognise the reality of the situation."
The Duke of York, who was forced to quit his official duties due to his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, currently shares the £30 million mansion with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York. Prince Andrew signed a 75-year lease for the Royal Lodge back in 2003, paying £250 a week and agreeing to maintain the vast property. However, recent photos have revealed that the mansion has fallen into disrepair, potentially sparking a new row between the Duke and the King.
As the monarch, King Charles is ultimately responsible for all of the royal household's finances and could choose to restrict funds from his brother if he continues to defy the request to move. This could leave Prince Andrew struggling to meet the extortionate annual upkeep costs of the Royal Lodge, which are estimated to be around £400,000 a year. Additionally, the King currently funds Andrew's £3 million a year security bill, which could also be at risk if the Duke remains defiant.
A friend of the King told The Times, "Unfortunately, if Andrew refuses to leave within a reasonable time frame, then the King may be forced to reassess the whole package of support he provides and the duke would be required to fund the lion's share of his security, accommodation and lifestyle costs all on his own - which, given the sums involved, is highly unlikely to be possible in the long term."
The friend added, "Everyone is mindful of his well-being, and has his best interests at heart, but there are limits of patience and tolerance."
Sources close to the King have indicated that while he is willing to pay for his brother to live comfortably out of his private funds from the Duchy of Lancaster, the level of funding needs to be appropriate. Moving to Frogmore Cottage, which was recently renovated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before their move to the US, would make a significant saving for the royal household. The King would continue to pay for Prince Andrew's mobile security but would not have to provide static security for the building.
Despite the potential financial consequences, one acquaintance of the Duke of York told The Times that Andrew is likely to "dig in" if the stand-off continues and that he had already enjoyed a "stay of execution" in light of Sarah Ferguson and the King's own recent illnesses.
