The debate on Prince Andrew’s tenancy at Windsor’s Royal Lodge rumbles on, with fresh warnings from a Royal expert hinting at more strife for the beleaguered Prince. Speaking on Palace Confidential podcast, Robert Hardman, King Charles biographer, indicated that even if Andrew manages to keep the Royal Lodge, it may be a pyrrhic victory.
He remarked: “The King is very conscious that [The Lodge] is not entirely in his gift. It’s a Crown Estate property and the Crown Estate ultimately answers to the government. The King can’t evict him, and wouldn’t want to anyway.”
However, Robert pointed out that despite the Duke of York’s supposed financial readiness to hold on to the Lodge, there remain questions about his capacity to maintain it, which could lead to a further predicament. Robert continued: “The Royal Collection, which owns quite a lot of the treasures inside there, may say: ‘Well, we can’t be confident that this place is safe anymore,’ and they’ll start taking the paintings and some of the furniture away.”
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As reported by the Express, he underscored that Prince Andrew’s claim to the Grade II listed property, valued at around £30million, remains contentious. He elaborated: “That’s a house that has always belonged to someone who performs public duties on behalf of the nation. It always was when George the Sixth lived there, when Queen Mother lived there, and Prince Andrew to begin with.”
He continued to say: “He was performing public duties and therefore there was an obligation by the state to look after that property, to make sure it was secure. Now [Andrew] has got no public life, no prospect of a public life, and I think that does bring into question what he’s still doing in a place that was a home for many years of a sovereign.”
In his book, Robert discloses that Prince Andrew’s financial situation remains somewhat of a mystery. A Palace source is quoted: “He 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.”
Robert suggests that staying in the 30-room mansion is a matter of pride for Andrew. He said: “Someone said to me the other day, he’s got nothing else.
“He’s got no public life. He has no public role. And he’s clearly devoted to this home, and he likes being there. So, if he can make it work, he’s going to try.”