King Charles III has informed the Duke of York he can no longer use his suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace, it has been reported.
While the palace undergoes its £369m renovation, Prince Andrew’s belongings have reportedly been moved out and will not be returned again.
According toThe Sun, the disgraced duke was told there is “no place” for him at the palace and he will have to move elsewhere if he wishes to remain in London.
The newspaper quoted a source as saying: “The King has made it clear that Buckingham Palace is no place for Prince Andrew.
“First his office closed last year and now his sleeping quarters. Andrew loved having a suite at Buckingham Palace where he was not only set up for marital life with Sarah Ferguson but used it as a bachelor’s pad after his divorce.”
The news comes after Andrew is said to be plotting a legal bid to overturn his settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was underage.
The prince vehemently denied all accusations and has consistently claimed he does not know Giuffre. Last year, he reached a multimillion-pound settlement with her to stop the case from proceeding to a civil trial.
Sources close to Andrew expressed their concern about the royal to The Independent this week, stating they fear he is “becoming a recluse” since he is “on his own” in Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Separately, friends also feared the duke risks going down a “lonely path of more legal bills” if he is indeed considering to challenge the settlement.
The Sun reported that St James’ Palace, the most senior royal palace in London, may be an option for Andrew to move to.
Andrew was reportedly told he could no longer hold an office inside the palace or use it as an address for correspondence last December.
He also lost his entitlement to taxpayer-funded armed protection last year after he was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages, and stepped down as a senior royal.
He can no longer use the title His Royal Highness (HRH) in any official capacity.
A source told The Independent that Andrew is “desperate” to redeem himself, but “does not understand the humility and penance he needs to show following the case”.
“He’s stuck inside this bubble of wanting to have a role in the royal family when he doesn’t have one anymore,” they added.
The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace and representatives for Andrew for comment.
