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Prince Andrew’s Royal Lodge saga has finally been put to bed. I won’t go into the whole tortured history of it, but last year, King Charles decided that it would be a good use of his time to play musical chairs with various royal homes in Windsor. Charles evicted the Sussexes from Frogmore Cottage and demanded that Andrew give up his valid lease on Royal Lodge, all so Andrew could move into Frogmore. Andrew refused to budge, even as Charles waged a very public pressure campaign. Then, in Robert Hardman’s new book chapters, he revealed that Charles had finally cut off Andrew’s £1 million annual allowance. This came after Charles apparently cut off Andrew’s £3 million annual security several months ago too. Even without Charles’s largesse, there was nothing to be done about Andrew’s valid lease. And now Andrew has informed the Crown Estate that he has the money to support himself at Royal Lodge and that’s just what he plans to do:
The Duke of York has raised the funds to be allowed to stay at Royal Lodge. It is understood that Prince Andrew’s money has been approved by Sir Michael Stevens, the keeper of the privy purse, as coming from legitimate sources.
Andrew, 64, received written notice earlier this year that King Charles, his older brother, would cut him off financially if he refused to move out of the estate in Windsor and into more modest accommodation. The duke lives in the 30-room estate in Windsor Great Park with his former wife Sarah Ferguson under a lease agreement with the Crown Estate which is valid until 2078.
In an unexpected twist, Andrew has now convinced Palace authorities that he has sufficient funds from legitimate sources to support himself. He no longer receives public money and with no discernible income beyond a Royal Navy pension there have long been questions over the source of the duke’s wealth. A source said: “If Andrew can pay for his own upkeep with legitimate means, then it is not an issue. But the King’s patience has run out when it comes to funding his brother’s lifestyle in a way that does not fit his status.”
Sources close to Andrew have maintained for years that he has plenty of money squirreled away, and no one really knows where it came from or what Andrew did to get it. There was the Swiss chalet he bought out of nowhere, then sold and pocketed what he could from the sale. There were other real estate ventures. There was Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell too. So who knows. In any case, sources close to Andrew are now emphasizing that this whole ordeal blew up in Charles’s face.
Friends of Prince Andrew were jubilant Friday night after the disgraced duke won the so-called ‘Siege of Royal Lodge,’ successfully defying his brother King Charles’ long-running efforts to kick him out of the extravagant 90-acre property. In a bitter humiliation for the king, who has spent much of the past year scheming to get Andrew out of the ten-bedroomed mansion—which he was rumored to be eying as a potential dowager house for his wife Camilla—the palace has thrown in the towel and accepted that Andrew can stay there after all.
Charles’ last maneuver was to cut his brother’s annual allowance of £1 million (roughly $1.3 million) and his private security detail. But to no avail—the king has now accepted that he has lost in what many will see as a devastating blow to his authority as he struggles with the familiar challenge of an ailing monarch; maintaining discipline and obedience.
“We are thrilled for Andrew. Andrew has a cast iron lease on the property so god knows why Charles chose to pick this battle,” a friend of the prince told The Daily Beast. “It’s hard to imagine anyone would have any interest in where Andrew is living if Charles’ aides had not spent the past year banging on about it. He was never going to just walk away from the property; the lease is a valuable asset he intends to leave to his children, and maybe William will be glad of having Eugenie or Beatrice there in years to come.
Another friend told The Daily Beast: “Charles has everything. He is as rich as Croesus. Andrew is 64 and his house is basically all he has left and it was wicked of the king to try and take it off him. Why? Who cares?” This friend speculated that the recent publication of details of the king’s phenomenal wealth in the Sunday Times had been a factor in Charles “dropping the pretense the monarchy is run on a shoe string.”
Yeah, I don’t have a solid explanation for why Charles was hellbent on publicizing this drama with Andrew, other than it was Charles’s sad attempt to look “tough” on a sexual predator or like he was pinching pennies. The thing is, Charles didn’t look tough at all – he looked like he picked a fight with brother over old family sh-t (mummy loved Andrew more!), then cozied up to that same sexual predator brother whenever it was convenient. I haven’t forgotten that Andrew was given prominent placement at the past two Christmas walks in Sandringham. Charles even gave Andrew and the Yorks use of Wood Farm. Andrew was also welcomed at Balmoral for the past two summers.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.
Sandringham, UNITED KINGDOM – Members of the Royal family attend the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, UK.
Pictured: Prince Andrew, Duke of York
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Royals head to Easter Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Featuring: Camilla Queen Consort, King Charles III, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Where: Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom
When: 09 Apr 2023
Credit: Yui Mok/PA Images/INSTARimages
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Members of the British Royal family attend the Easter Mattins Service at Windsor Castlle
Featuring: Camilla, Queen Consort, King Charles III and Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Where: Windsor, United Kingdom
When: 09 Apr 2023
Credit: Cover Images
The Duke of York arriving ahead of the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, central London.
Featuring: Prince Andrew, The Duke of York
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 06 May 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
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The Duke of York departs Westminster Abbey, London, following the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Featuring: Prince Andrew, The Duke of York
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 06 May 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
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Members of the royal family, (left to right) Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Mike Tindall and the Princess Royal, attend a thanksgiving service for the life of King Constantine of the Hellenes at St George’s Chapel
Featuring: Members of the royal family, (left to right) Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Mike Tindall and the Princess Royal
Where: Windsor, United Kingdom
When: 27 Feb 2024
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
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Easter Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.
Featuring: Prince Andrew
Where: Windsor, United Kingdom
When: 31 Mar 2024
Credit: Cover Images
Sandringham, UNITED KINGDOM – Members of the Royal Family attend Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk.
Pictured: Prince Andrew, Duke of York
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