It’s no secret that King Charles and Prince Andrew have been at odds for a few different reasons over the years. Being that they were born 12 years apart some have attributed their age difference as to why they never got along too well, while others believe it has to do with jealousy.
Charles is thought to have been jealous of the attention their mother, Queen Elizabeth II, paid to Andrew. When Andrew was born, the queen was at home more and could be hands-on with her younger son, but Charles was raised by his nannies as the queen was traveling so often. Not only that but Andrew was said to be their mother’s favorite child.
There’s been jealousy on the Duke of York’s part as well because he always knew that it would never be him, it would be his brother who was the heir apparent and would ascend the throne when their mom died.
Following the queen’s death, the king slimmed down the monarchy and made it clear there is no place for the disgraced prince in it. But the duke isn’t making things easy for his sibling as he is not respecting King Charles’ wishes after he requested Andrew move out of the royal residence he’s lived in for two decades.
Prince Andrew allows home to fall into disarray with visible mold and peeling paint
Prince Andrew attends a service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, at Royal Lodge following Prince Philip’s death | STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
King Charles had hoped that Prince Andrew wouldn’t be unable to afford the upkeep of his massive 30-room mansion after taking away his $1.2 million yearly allowance. Yet Andrew has still resisted eviction efforts, citing his 75-year lease agreement and rejecting downsizing to Frogmore Cottage which is also located within Windsor Park. But new photos of the property show the exterior of Royal Lodge looking to be in disarray with black mold, cracks, and crumbling paintwork falling away.
After seeing the outside in such bad shape royal expert Hugo Vickers weighed telling The Sun: “The ideal situation would of course be that Andrew would volunteer to down-size and move somewhere else … it’s an expensive lifestyle. It does indeed look as though he’s just holding the fort and refusing to do the repairs, refusing to go, and probably can’t afford to do them, anyway.
“I don’t think that the king is being vindictive to his brother. I don’t think that’s the intention. But I think it’s also fair to say that they’re not naturally the closest of brothers … If Prince Andrew proves to be obstinate and refuses to go then I imagine things will get worse. He would do himself a great favor if he found an honorable way of moving somewhere else.”
Vickers added, “Frogmore Cottage is not exactly tiny, and it would be ideal, since it’s within the security boundary, and also what he spends most of his time doing these days is riding in the park. It would make perfect sense. There’s nothing to stop the king actually commanding that he should leave Royal Lodge. He has a lease, but then the lease is a Crown estate lease, and these things can be changed.”
Andrew has a new plan to try and stay in Royal Lodge
Despite how things look on the outside of the property, Andrew is reportedly addressing interior concerns per his lease agreement which states that the residence must be kept in good condition throughout. According to an updated version of the book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, the prince has found other sources of income to fund Royal Lodge and the improvements needed including a mold issue.
A source told the author: “[Andrew] claims to have found other sources of income related to his contacts in international trade, sufficient to cover all his costs — which would be a welcome outcome for all parties if that turns out to be the case. But as to whether this funding can be relied upon in the long term is another matter.’”
