The Duke of York is said to have “refused to leave” his current residence at the Royal Lodge despite fears that his brother King Charles III might “cut public services to drive him out”.
After Prince Andrew is believed to have offered Frogmore Cottage as his official residence, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were asked to vacate the property earlier this year.
However, the disgraced duke is reportedly not ready to give up the 30-bedroom mansion and move into Prince Harry and Meghan’s former UK residence.
According to a report by American journalist Daphne Barak, sources close to Andrew revealed that he is concerned that “now the coronation is over, the knives are out.”
Earlier, it was reported that the Duke was concerned that he could not afford to maintain the Royal Lodge after the King cut the £250,000 annual allowance to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A source was quoted as saying: “Andrew is very fragile. He refuses to see anyone. It has been his family home for the last 20 years. Is it really sensible to kick him out?”
“She worries that now the coronation is over, the knives are out. She worries that the royals will cut off public services to get them out of there. But we’re dealing with human beings, not real estate.”
It has been said that the Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to remain there until Andrew leaves the Royal Lodge.
King Charles III and the Duke of York are said to be at odds at Andrew’s residence (Getty)
Currently, Prince William and Princess Kate live at Adelaide Cottage in Home Park. They moved there last year to be closer to their children’s school, Lambrock School, near Ascot in Berkshire.
Another source was cited in Barack’s articles: “If Carlos wants Andrew to be involved in sports and help the family, aren’t there better ways to do that? Why not do the civilized thing, sit down and talk.” ?
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“If you need a house for William, perhaps you should tell Andrew. Perhaps William should invite his uncle over for tea and explain to him?
Andrew shares the sprawling estate, which spans 98 acres, with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, often visit him.
The couple in 2018 (Getty Images)
A family friend was quoted in the Daily Mail: “Eugénie is heavily pregnant and her parents are expecting a new grandchild this summer.”
“Let’s not forget that Sarah is the glue that has held the family together during this nightmare.”
Neither Andrew nor Ferguson are royals. Ferguson was married to the Duke from 1986 to 1996 and stepped down from the royal family following the divorce, although she remains good friends with Andrew.
The Duke stepped down from his royal duties in 2019 over his association with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He was also stripped of his title “Her Royal Highness,” military titles and endorsements after Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre sued him for sexually abusing her as a minor.
Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations and said he does not remember meeting Giuffre. He reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Giuffre early last year and said he regretted his association with Epstein, who he acknowledged “trafficked countless girls over many years.”
The last time Andrew was seen in public was at the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, at which time he held no formal office.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment.
Translation by Michelle Padilla
