King Charles has reportedly threatened to cut ties completely with his brother, Prince Andrew, as he refuses to move into Harry and Meghan’s old house, Frogmore Cottage
Photographs capture the crumbling state of Prince Andrew’s home – Royal Lodge – but the Duke of York is refusing to move.
The duke has become a prisoner of his own pride in the property, sources claim, and King Charles is reportedly not willing to continue to fund his brother’s lifestyle.
But Andrew, 64, is understood to have refused to accept his brother’s offer he move from Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park in Berkshire to Frogmore Cottage, just five miles away. Frogmore used to be Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s property until they left the UK for a new life in the US.
The main residence of Prince Andrew is in need of a refurb
The sprawling 30-room mansion is crumbling but remains Prince Andrew’s home
Now, photographs show Royal Lodge, capturing its tired and crumbling walls. Moss is seen on the structure and paint is peeling away. Scaffolding has been seen at the front of the property, where a skip full of rubble was also spotted.
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The site of homes since the 17th century, the present structure dates from the 19th century, and was expanded in the 1930s.
Refurbishment work on Royal Lodge appears to have started
Scaffolding on the front of the property where a skip can be seen
DON’T MISSIt was the Windsor residence of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1952 until she died there in 2002, at the age of 101. In 2004, Andrew and his wife Sarah Ferguson moved into Royal Lodge and the pair, though now long divorced, now remain there.
Andrew and his wife Sarah Ferguson moved into Royal Lodge in 2004 (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
A friend of King Charles said: “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 realise 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 property was the Windsor residence of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1952 until she died
A skip loaded full of rubble and scaffolding has been put up on the property
Andrew was forced to step down from royal duties amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. He quit public life in November 2019, admitting it had “become clear [that] my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work.”
And a source close to the royal family told The Times Andrew is taking “longer than desirable to recognise the reality of the situation”. They added: “If he doesn’t agree to move to a property better suited to his needs, then the King may have to reconsider the levels of support he is willing to provide.”
The entire building needs re rendering where most of the plaster work has blown
No maintenance has been done for decades since Prince Andrew moved in to country mansion
The latest opinion poll revealed Prince Andrew to be the least popular member of the royal family by far. The YouGov survey showed the duke was popular with only 9 per cent of people, while 76 per cent said they disliked him.
Charles has previously claimed his brother should move to nearby Frogmore Cottage — Prince Harry and Meghan’s former home. The monarch’s wish for Andrew to downsize came as he reportedly cut his £250,000 annual allowance that he had been previously provided with by the late Queen Elizabeth.
