King Charles is fed up with Prince Andrew and gives him an ultimatum to leave Royal Lodge and…see more

King Charles is fed up with Prince Andrew and gives him an ultimatum to leave Royal Lodge
Andrew has been living in the property with his ex-wife

King Charles’s patience is reportedly wearing thin with his brother, Prince Andrew, over his continued refusal to vacate the Royal Lodge, a grand 30-room estate in Windsor worth £30 million.

Andrew has been living in the property with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, despite stepping back from royal duties nearly five years ago.

The King’s frustration stems in part from the significant costs associated with Andrew’s residence. After the Duke of York’s armed police protection was withdrawn in 2022 following his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, Charles began personally funding a private security team for his brother, a service that reportedly costs around £3 million annually.

Prince Andrew’s options
According to The Times, Charles has presented Andrew with two options: either find a way to cover his own security and home expenses or move to more appropriate accommodations.

One such option on the table is Frogmore Cottage, previously home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which has been vacated since their move to California. Frogmore offers the advantage of being within the Windsor estate’s security perimeter and has recently undergone refurbishment.

Despite the King’s insistence, Andrew has resisted moving from the Royal Lodge, citing his 75-year lease agreement with the Crown Estate, signed in 2003.

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Under that agreement, Andrew paid a £1 million down payment and currently pays £260,000 a year in rent. Further complicating matters are reports of costly repairs needed for the property, with renovation bills already amounting to £7 million.

Reports suggest the King may have set an autumn deadline for Andrew to leave the estate. In what appears to be a strong signal, it was revealed last month that Charles had informed the security team guarding Royal Lodge that their services would no longer be required after the summer.

It has also been reported that Charles is eager to rent out the Royal Lodge for £1 million a year, part of his efforts to generate revenue from royal properties. However, this plan is contingent on Andrew vacating the residence, which he has thus far refused to do.