Prince Andrew's reluctance to evacuate Royal Lodge has turned into a harsh modern-day siege between him and his brother, King Charles, who believes the rebuff to be a nasty slap in the face to his royal authority. The spat has developed into a bitter modern-day siege between the two of them, a new report claimed.
A source at the palace has referred to Andrew's unwillingness to vacate the historic $40 million mansion with 30 rooms and seven beds as "the siege of the Royal Lodge." This is because Prince Andrew has allegedly refused to leave the residence.
“The whole situation has exploded into bitterness between the Windsors. Charles is fed up with his younger brother and the disgrace he’s brought on the family. He sees no reason to continue to reward Andrew by allowing him the perk of such a magnificent home,” an unnamed royal insider told Globe Magazine.
In point of fact, Prince Andrew's connection with the late American pedophile and teen sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein brought shame upon the monarchy. As a result, his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, expelled him from the royal family and from royal businesses.
Jeffrey's former sex slave Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Epstein in 2001, alleging that he sexually assaulted her when she was 17 years old and the prince was 41 years old, Reuters reported. According to reports, the Duke of York paid Virginia an estimated $14 million to force her to drop the complaint.
The only reason that King Charles has not kicked Andrew off the property, according to informants, is because the monarch is currently concerned about his fight against cancer and the health of Princess Kate, who is married to Prince William and is also reported to be battling the fatal disease.
According to tipsters, Prince Andrew, who is 64 years old, has been living in the palace-like three-story home on the grounds of Windsor Castle for years. Since signing a 75-year lease in 2003, which requires him to maintain the property, the prince has poured millions into renovations, and he recently shelled out $25,000 for painting the outside.
However, King Charles, who is 75 years old, pays for the lodge's security, housekeepers, gardeners, and home improvements, which are estimated to be in the millions of dollars. He could soon cut off his payments for these services.
“Unfortunately, if Prince 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 mole claimed.
King Charles allegedly wants him to relocate to the more modest and less expensive Frogmore Cottage, which is a mansion that is only 5,000 square feet in size and was the previous residence of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan before they fled to the United States in order to make money off of their famous status.
And according to a snitch close to King Charles, the situation will become really unpleasant if Prince Andrew does not depart soon. The source claimed that the monarch would reduce the allowance that the duke receives.
“It can be done tidily or untidily. It can be done with grace and dignity or it can be forced upon him. It’s all rather sad. But as things stand, life at Royal Lodge is set to become increasingly cold and uncomfortable for the duke. The only question now is when he will realize that he has become a prisoner of his own pride — and that handing back the keys will afford him far greater comfort, and the continued support of his family,” the insider stated.
The standoff between the brothers is expected to become even more intense, according to other informants.
“It’s really rather sad, but if it’s a case of who will blink first, then Andrew is going to dig in. He ain’t going anywhere. He has had a stay of execution with Sarah and the king’s illnesses and he will be hoping Charles won’t want to be seen as vindictive by turfing him out,” the tipster said.
Spies claimed that Prince Andrew is becoming more reclusive as a result of the fact that he is no longer employed by the royal family or plays a part in the monarchy.
“Andrew cuts an increasingly tragic figure. With no discernible role, he spends his days watching television in a darkened room,” the mole stated.
Business Times has reached out to King Charles and Prince Andrew for comments.
