Prince Andrew is said to be facing eviction from King Charles III after reportedly neglecting to pay for the $503,000 upkeep of his $37 million mansion.
The prince, 63, has been fighting to stay at the historic Royal Lodge home, which requires an annual $503,000 upkeep per year. The sprawling property is a 19th century, Grade II listed mansion under the ownership of Charles’ estate.
The monarch is said to have previously demanded that Andrew and his ex-wife Duchess Sarah Fergusson vacate the 90 acre property and move to somewhere smaller, such as Frogmore Cottage, the former home of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan.
However, it was reported that Andrew thought moving to that home would’ve been too big a downgrade.
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Damp issues and wear and tear are now said to ravage the building. Cracks are becoming worse in the brickwork, there’s plaster falling off and there is peeling paint, new photos reveal.
His annual allowance, believed to be £250,000 ($314,000) was stopped after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal had the palace made him step back from public duties.
The King is said to be reluctant to simply kick Andrew out of the property, as the prince took it over from the Crown Estate in 2004 on a long-term lease.
Before the Epstein scandal, Andrew spent millions on renovations and if was forced to move, the Crown Estate could end up owing him money. An insider told Metro Online: “The Duke is clearly not going without a fight. This will all probably end in tears, most likely his.”
It had been rumored that Prince William and Princess Kate, who are currently living in a four-bedroom Cottage in Windsor with their three children, might move into Royal Lodge.
It has also been said that the Crown Estate wouldn’t rule out renting the Royal Lodge commercially either in order to get the best return.
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But as Andrew deals with mounting issues, Charles has been focused on his recovery from cancer and enlisting his youngest brother Prince Edward and his wife Duchess Sophie to step in to help represent at public facing duties.
Charle offered a brief health update during his return to duties after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla, 76,visited a cancer treatment center on Tuesday, April 30, where he met with several patients and said the news of his illness was a “bit of a shock” at first, according to multiple U.K. outlets.
When one patient asked how he’s been doing, he replied, “Not too bad,” revealing that he was set to undergo “treatment this afternoon as well.” News broke in February that the king was being treated for an unspecified type of cancer that was discovered after his prostate surgery.
He has since been named Cancer Research UK’s newest patron. Ahead of the outing to the clinic, Charles and Camila celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary. The big day was marked by a new photo of the couple, which saw Charles beaming alongside his wife who had her arm around him.
