PRINCE Andrew is refusing to move out of Royal Lodge because it would admit his guilty part in the sex scandal, claims a royal expert. By Morgan Johnson.
The disgraced Duke of York, 64, lives on the sprawling Windsor estate despite stepping back from public-facing duties nearly five years ago.
With pressures mounting to kick Andrew out of Royal Lodge and into a smaller residence, expert Hugo Vickers said an ideal situation would be if he volunteered to relocate.
But by doing so, shamed Andrew would be giving up his 75-year lease on the place – which experts argue would only be forfeited if he had a guilty conscience having long been linked to Epstein.
Hugo told The Sun: “I think we must all accept that he is not wanted for any public duties.
“If you were running a charity you wouldn’t be asking Prince Andrew to come and be your guest of honour. So nobody wants him in a public way.
“So there he is living at Royal Lodge, playing golf, seeing his children and grandchildren and riding in the park and it is expensive.
“The ideal situation would of course be that Andrew would volunteer to down-size and move somewhere else.
“What I think he feels is that if he moves out of Royal Lodge it’s somehow publicly accepting guilt for which he has not been proved.
“Nevertheless 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 suspect the king does realise that he has to take care of his brother. But I’m wondering whether perhaps the Queen left Prince Andrew enough money to see him by.
“I don’t think that the King is 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.
“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, and so I hope it won’t come to that to be quite honest, but it could do.”
It comes after a source claimed: “The duke is no longer a financial burden on the King.”
The update was revealed in Hardman’s biography, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story.
Hardman claimed the late Queen would have reluctantly booted Andrew out of Royal Lodge and into the smaller Frogmore Cottage nearby if she were still alive.
As part of his Royal Lodge lease, Andrew must maintain the upkeep of the mansion – valued on the open market at £30million — which he shares with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
It boasts 40 hectares of woods and manicured lawns.
Sentry posts guard the grounds which include eight cottages and accommodation for police and security.
Andrew has so far resisted eviction efforts, citing his lease agreement, and rejected downsizing at Frogmore Cottage.
