Prince Andrew “terrified” to leave Royal Lodge amid eviction rumours
Prince Andrew is refusing to exit his royal residence as renovations are carried out on the Windsor property, despite advice to the contrary.
According to The Daily Mail, the 63-year-old is putting his foot down over fears that he “might never get back in”, likely in response to circulating rumours that his brother - King Charles - wants to evict Andrew from the home as part of his grand plan to scale back the monarchy.
While Andrew no longer holds any official royal duty after his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, he still maintains his claim on the mansion with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
And now, that same property is set to become “virtually a building site”, with Andrew having hired builders to undertake necessary repair work on the property, tackling everything from damp to mould.
As a source told Page Six, Andrew was reportedly advised to vacate “while work was undertaken” over the course of a few months, “but he’s refused because he’s so terrified that the property might be seized in his absence.
“In the meantime, Harry and Meghan vacated Frogmore after being told they needed to leave to make way for Andrew but he is refusing to go there, even though he was given the keys.
“He’s allowing Eugenie to stay there. She’s just given birth to her second child so while she recovers and gets back on her feet, she’s staying in Frogmore to be near her mum and dad.”
And while some believe the temporary move would make sense for Andrew, his fears remain at the forefront.
“It’s become farcical,' an insider told The Daily Mail. “Andrew has roof repairs scheduled later this summer which will take several months to complete and has been advised that staying in the house during those renovations could prove problematic. But he is reluctant to leave.”
Buckingham Palace has yet to comment on the rumours, but another source is adamant that the Duke of York will remain in the property, regardless of alleged drama and financial woes.
As Page Six noted, Andrew has been making the most of money left to him by the late Queen Elizabeth to fix up the house, with one source explaining that “he’s been quite open about where the money has come from because he doesn’t want people to think he’s come up with it through other means.
“The costs are expected to reach into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
And, as they surmised, Andrew “is adamant that he will see out the end of his [75-year] lease at Royal Lodge.”
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