Prince Andrew currently lives with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at Royal Lodge in Berkshire. Photo / Getty Images
Prince Andrew currently lives with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at Royal Lodge in Berkshire. Photo / Getty Images
Prince Andrew is said to be “distraught” over the prospect of being “evicted” from his palatial home in Windsor, with a dramatic cut to his yearly earnings looming in April.
Andrew, 63, currently lives with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion in Berkshire, about 5km south of Windsor Castle.
It’s been his official country residence since 2004, having previously served at the Windsor residence of Queen Elizabeth II’s mother.
For many years that was made possible by an annual subsidy of £250,000 (NZ$480,030), paid to Andrew out of his mother’s private estate. Control over that money now rests with King Charles III, who is seeking to slim down the British monarchy.
As such, Andrew’s annual grant is set to be cut from April.
“It feels as though his brother wishes to evict him,” a source told The Sun.
Prince Andrew is reportedly “distraught” over a decision from the King that could force him out of the palatial mansion he’s occupied for years. Photo / Getty Images
Andrew has reportedly told his friends he will not be able to afford Royal Lodge’s upkeep costs after the cut, meaning he will effectively be “evicted” before the end of this year.
“Andrew and Sarah are distraught they have been given such short notice,” the newspaper’s source said, adding that the Queen “died only a few months ago”.
“He’s not being explicitly kicked out, but it’s expected that he won’t be able to afford the maintenance.
“Royal Lodge has a swimming pool and 98 acres of land, and is already in need of some repair.”
While Ferguson recently bought a multimillion-dollar townhouse in London, she and Andrew reportedly feel it is unsuitable, as they own a number of dogs and horses.
Another source suggested the move to cut Andrew’s grant was “about Charles telling Andrew he can use his own money to pay for things”.
It’s merely the latest slap in the face for Andrew, who has receded from public view in the wake of his expensive settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein’s underage sex trafficking ring who has accused the Duke of sexually assaulting her.
Andrew has more recently been barred from having an apartment or office at Buckingham Palace and stripped of his publicly funded security, though the King currently pays for private security on his behalf.
It should be noted that Andrew is not the only target of Charles’ push to slim down the monarchy, and other royal allowances are also expected to be cut.
