Prince Andrew believes that his brother King Charles has no power to make him leave the Royal Lodge, reports have claimed.
It has recently been reported that the disgraced Duke of York is “refusing to budge” from the familial property, a Grade II listed house in Berkshire’s Windsor Great Park.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Andrew had no intentions of taking up the offer of moving into the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s former home, Frogmore Cottage. Instead, Andrew wants to continue to stay in the 30-room mansion.
According to a new report in The Times, Andrew will only leave the property if the King can get him to agree.
The duke has reportedly insisted that, since the property’s lease agreement is in his name, not even the monarch has the power to make him leave against his will.
“The lease is in the duke’s name so no one can take that away from him,” a source told the newspaper on Saturday (20 May). “It has never been suggested that it could be taken away from him. It’s a long lease with 80 to 90 years left on it.
“This is a lease between him and the Crown Estate. That’s not a matter for the King. It’s a matter for the chancellor of the exchequer. The only way you could get him to move out would be through an arrangement – he would have to agree.”
Previously, it was alleged that Prince Andrew could be pressured into leaving the estate by actions such as cutting off his electricity supply. However, the source said there was “no foundation” to these reports.
The duke’s associate also told the publication that the King was unlikely to exert pressure on Andrew because it would not make him a “very popular person within the family”.
They added: “There are other members of the family who would not want to see a member kicked out.”
The Independent has approached Buckingham Palace for comment.
