Prince Andrew 'refuses' to leave royal lodge, claims insider

He is reportedly determined to see out his lease

Prince Andrew
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Andrew has reportedly been asked to leave the Royal Lodge by his brother King Charles III, with speculation over the terms of his departure growing in recent months.

However, it has been reported that the King's younger brother has refused to give up the royal home where he has lived for the last two decades. 

Prince Andrew lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson - though it is believed that the former couple live in separate wings of the property.

Sources have reported that Andrew, 63, intends to 'see out' the rest of his lease on the £30 million mansion located close to Windsor Castle, with 55 years left remaining on the contract.

An insider close to Andrew told The Mail On Sunday: "He's refusing to see anybody. This has been his family home for the past 20 years. Is it really sensible to kick him out?"

It has previously been reported that Frogmore Cottage - which was previously the home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before they moved to the US - is being considered for Andrew.

The move is reportedly to make way for the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

It has also been claimed that the Palace has set a deadline for Andrew and Sarah - who share daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie - to move out by September, though this date was reportedly dismissed as being too early. 

The decision to relocate Andrew from the 30-room mansion is one of a handful of changes Charles is planning for his brother.

The British monarch is reportedly planning to cut Andrew's £250,000 annual grant, and therefore cutting the allowance would make it difficult for him to cover the costs of maintaining the Windsor property. 

Andrew reportedly fears the royal family could go so far as to switch off the gas, water and electricity supplies if he fails to leave the house, a source told US journalist Daphne Barak.

They shared: "He’s concerned that now the coronation is over, the knives are out.

"He’s worried that the royals might even turn off the utilities to get him out of there. But we’re dealing with human beings, not real estate."

At the time of writing, the Palace has not commented on the reports. 

Maisie Bovingdon

Maisie is a writer and editor, covering Royal News, Showbiz, Lifestyle content, as well as Shopping Writing and E-Commerce, for print and digital publications, including Marie Claire, Hello!, Fabulous, Mail Online and Yahoo!.