The Duke of York is refusing to leave his house while construction is taking place fearing that he “might never get back in,” .
It happens in the midst of a dispute between Prince Andrew and his brother King Charles, who wants Prince Andrew to leave his longtime Windsor residence Royal Lodge in order to scale down the monarchy.
The royal, who was forced to resign from his official position due to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, now lives alone in a 30-room, £30 million mansion with his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York.
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The King thinks the property could be used more effectively, but Andrew, who took over the long-term lease from the late Queen Mother and invested up to £7 million of his own money in renovations, isn’t willing to budge.
According to The Mail, later this summer, some necessary work will be done, including roof repairs that Andrew will pay for personally.
Seven bedrooms are located on the two upper floors of Royal Lodge. According to sources, it would make sense for the prince to temporarily relocate to the neighborhood’s Frogmore Cottage, which was the former residence of Harry and Meghan and where the King has suggested Andrew could permanently ‘downsize’.
But the source also asserts that Andrew, whether rightly or wrongly, worries he might be permanently kicked out of the house if he were to vacate the premises, even for a short while. It’s gotten out of hand, they declared. Andrew has scheduled roof repairs for later this summer that will take several months to complete. He has been warned that staying in the home during those renovations could present difficulties. He does not want to leave, though.
Although Buckingham Palace declined to comment, a different source insisted that the Duke of York did not need to leave.
The Mail has reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are currently residing in California, still hold the Frogmore tenancy, which expires in July.
They have also received notice to vacate their Windsor residence, which was given to them by the late Queen, it was confirmed earlier this year.
The cozy five-bedroom house is currently occupied by Princess Eugenie, her husband, and their two children. It allows her to be close to her parents and make sure Frogmore is kept busy. She gave birth to her second son last week.
The Duke of York is adamant that he will stay in his house and not move into Frogmore, the source continued, despite the dramas surrounding Royal Lodge and the expenses required to repair it.
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According to the source, “They originally wanted Andrew out of Royal Lodge so that the property could be renovated and ready for new lodgers.”
But he is adamant that he won’t move out of his house because his lease has so many years left on it and because he spent millions of his own money renovating it. He strongly feels that they are suddenly moving the goalposts and it is incredibly unfair, perhaps with some justification.
Nobody is certain of the solution, but Andrew is adamant. Given that they were paying for a home they hardly ever use, it was obviously more convenient for Harry and Meghan to leave Frogmore. The Andrews, however, reside at Royal Lodge.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales, who currently reside in Windsor’s four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage with their three children, are rumored to be considering moving there.
However, it’s believed that the Crown Estate would consider renting the Royal Lodge to businesses as well in order to maximize returns.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who currently reside with their children in Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, are rumored to be moving in. However, it’s believed that the Crown Estate would consider commercially leasing out the Royal Lodge.
