PRINCE Andrew’s alleged refusal to leave his £30million estate has left him a prisoner of his own pride, a friend of King Charles has claimed.
The Duke of York struck a deal to stay at his Royal Lodge home after an alleged row with the King and William last year.
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But it has now emerged that the monarch is unwilling to continue funding Andrew’s lifestyle at the Windsor Great Park home.
However, the disgraced Duke, 64, refuses to leave his vast home, according to The times.
The channel reports that Andrew represents an increasingly tragic figure, who “spends his days watching television in a dark room.”
And a friend of King Charles has now claimed that life at Royal Lodge will become “increasingly cold and uncomfortable” for Andrew if he refuses to hand back the keys.
The friend told The Times: “It can be done in an organized or disorderly way. This can be done with grace and dignity or it can be forced upon him. It’s all quite sad.
“But as things stand, life at Royal Lodge is likely to become increasingly cold and uncomfortable for the Duke.
“The only question now is when he will realize he has become a prisoner of himself.” pride – and that returning the keys will provide him with much greater comfort and the continued support of his family.”
Andrew, who no longer holds official duties, shares the sprawling 30-bedroom Windsor mansion with just his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The disgraced royal has lived in the Lodge for 20 years and signed a 75-year lease, paying just £250 a week.
He is said to be “stating the matter” despite having no chance of returning to royal duties.
A source told the newspaper: “The King’s kindness is not unlimited and there is a very good option for Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage, recently vacated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which also has the advantage of being within Castle Castle. Windsor. security cordon, thus reducing the need for 24-hour alternative security for the Royal Lodge.
“He is taking longer than desirable to recognize the reality of the situation, even though it is clearly the most sensible course of action.
“If he does not agree to move to a property more suited to his needs, then the king may have to reconsider the levels of support he is willing to provide.”
Last year, Andrew and the king clashed when it was said that Charles wanted to evict his brother from his home, with courtiers saying that Prince William and his family would eventually move to the vast estate.
A source said to the mirror that Andrew had a clear responsibility for repairs after reaching the deal with his brother.
They said: “Prince They told Andrew he had to take care of the necessary renovations or he would have no reason to stay at home.”
The source said the king was very concerned about the state of the house.
“There is no doubt that the King will be alarmed at the true state of the residence after the Duke assured him that everything was under control.”
Andrew must not have been thrilled by the latest opinion poll, which revealed he was by far the least popular member of the royal family.
A YouGov poll showed he was popular with just 9% of people, while 76% said they didn’t like him.
But in January, sources told the Daily Mail: “Andrew isn’t going anywhere. He has a cast iron lease.”
Charles has previously stated that Andrew should move to nearby Frogmore Cottage – the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan.
The monarch’s desire for Andrew to downsize came as he reportedly cut his £250,000 annual allowance he had previously received from the late Queen Elizabeth.
Royal Lodge is said to require repair work costing around £2 million and without his grant Andrew would not be able to afford the upkeep of the 98-acre property.
But the brothers reached an agreement last summer allowing Andrew to stay at home.
Andrew was forced to step down from royal duties following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
He paid a £12 million settlement to Virginia Guiffre, who accused him of sleeping with her when she was a teenager – which he denied.
In November 2019, Andrew stepped down from royal duties.
He resigned from his public positions the following May.
Andrew’s honorary military affiliations and royal charitable patronages were removed by his mother in 2022.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
