Claims have surfaced that Prince Andrew’s secret financial backer for the Royal Lodge, his 30-room residence, might be much closer to home than previously thought.
The Duke of York, who shares the mansion with his former spouse Sarah Ferguson, has been embroiled in a row with his sibling, King Charles, regarding the tenancy of the opulent £30 million Windsor Great Park home.
Reports have indicated that Andrew was finding it difficult to meet the hefty £400,000 annual upkeep costs of the grand estate, leading to suggestions from Charles that he should consider downsizing.
However, it has also come to light that the Duke has secured funding through an undisclosed benefactor to maintain his lifestyle at the Royal Lodge. The Sun’s Royal editor, Matt Wilkinson, had earlier informed The Royal Beat that Andrew assured the Keeper of the Privy Purse the money was “legitimate”.
Charlotte Griffiths, Mail on Sunday’s editor at large, has now hinted that the mysterious sponsor could be none other than King Charles himself, reports Aberdeen Live.
She referenced two informants, one of whom was reportedly once “close” to the Duke of York. This source remarked on Andrew’s limited circle of friends and infrequent social outings, adding: “So it’s got to be family, and the obvious person is the King. I mean, why would anybody who’s not family want to give him money when they’re not going to get anything out of it except a lot of flack? “.
Charlotte disclosed that a former guest at the Royal Lodge affirmed, “Charles has paid for it all. The King has cleared it. It’s all done.”
There have been rumours suggesting Charles had preferred the Yorks to reside in Frogmore Cottage, which was earlier home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Reports indicate that King Charles has reduced Andrew’s annual allowance and ceased covering his £3million-a-year security costs, with the Duke now having to foot these bills himself, as per GloucestershireLive.
The Times’ Royal editor Kate Mansey also contributed her insights on the matter during an episode of The Royal Beat, noting that previously Andrew’s use of the Royal Lodge was due to the “largesse” of his brother.
She added, “To stay in Royal Lodge, which is outside that security perimeter, incidentally, at Windsor stands on its own, so it has its own security. So, that’s a kind of revolving door of, you know, security 24/7 on that place.”
“And part of that lease requires him to keep painting it inside and out on a, kind of, five and seven-yearly basis. So there are responsibilities that come with that commercial lease that he has to upkeep. That’s not cheap.”