Prince Andrew has reportedly refused to leave the Royal Lodge, despite not being able to afford the upkeep of the property. The news comes as it has been revealed that the King is planning to cut the £250k annual grant, which Queen Elizabeth II bestowed on him.
The Duke of York, who goes by the Earl of Inverness when in Scotland, received the subsidy in order to maintain the 30 room Windsor mansion. King Charles, 74, planned slashing of the grant comes amid cuts to the spending of the Privy Purse after taking control of the £652.8 million fortune following the death of the Queen, reports the Mirror.
The Sun reports that despite the cutbacks, the King has agreed to continue to pay for the Duke's security which is estimated to cost around £3 million per year, after he was stripped of taxpayer-funded armed Met Police guards this year. It comes after Andrew was forced to step down from royal duties after he was accused of historic allegations of sexual abuse, which he continues to deny.
Finances are believed to be tight for the Royal with his Navy pension his main source of income after his business interests have dried up. Reports have circulated that the King Is hoping to evict Prince Andrew, 63, from the Royal Lodge.
Plans have been drawn up for Prince William and his family to then move into the Royal Lodge, which has been cited as more suitable for a growing family. Andrew currently shares the residence with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
Officials initially set a September deadline for the couple to vacate the property but were forced to accept that the date was too early. Friends of Andrew told The Sun that he is determined to stay, with one stating that it had been his home for the last 20 years.
Another friend said: “If Charles wants Andrew to play ball and help the family, aren’t there better ways of going about it?
"Why not do the decent thing, sit down and talk? If they need the house for William, perhaps Andrew should be told. Perhaps William should invite his uncle for tea and explain?
“Or why doesn’t Charles invite his brother for a meeting and ask him if he’d leave Royal Lodge to help his nephew and the future of the monarchy.”
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