The Duke of York fears he’ll lose his vast £30m home in Windsor within months as King Charles is slashing his annual grant, it has been claimed. The new monarch is reportedly tightening the purse strings for all members of the Royal Family in a bid to streamline it as the country is experiencing a difficult financial time.
This would mean particularly bad news to Prince Andrew, as he is no longer receiving public funds from the Sovereign Grant given he stepped back from public duties in November 2019.
Sources close to the Duke have claimed this alleged move by the monarch could have a major impact on Andrew.
A source described as a friend of the Duke of York told the Mail on Sunday: “It feels as though his brother wishes to evict him.”
Another source told the publication: “He’s not being explicitly kicked out but it’s expected that he won’t be able to afford the maintenance.
“Royal Lodge has a swimming pool, 98 acres of land and is already in need of some repair.”
Another friend claimed: “They’ve been told their subsidy, vital for maintaining Royal Lodge, will be cut as soon as April.”
The Duke of York bought a 75-year lease on Royal Lodge in 2002, after the death of its previous royal resident, the Queen Mother.
The 30-room home reportedly needed significant refurbishment, which have already cost the royal millions of pounds, the Sunday paper wrote.
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Until September last year, Andrew was reportedly being supported by his mother Queen Elizabeth II through her private Duchy of Lancaster funds. He was reportedly receiving some £249,000 a year.
Andrew can also count on a small Navy pension earned following his years of duty, including his service during the Falklands War.
Andrew also reportedly received a substantial inheritance from both Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, whose wills won’t be disclosed to the public for decades to come.
Another source told the Sunday paper Charles’ reported financial move isn’t targeting just Andrew and is signalling that his brother “can use his own money to pay for things”, much like other members of the Royal Family can.
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Moreover, while the King will reduce Andrew’s income, he won’t entirely slash it, and he will reportedly guarantee his younger brother a home.
Previous reports also claimed the monarch took upon himself to pay for the Duke’s security after the Home Office took away from Andrew his publicly-funded Scotland Yard protection.
Andrew stopped carrying out royal duties in November 2019, following his disastrous interview with Newsnight focused on his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Mail on Sunday said Buckingham Palace did not comment on its report. Express.co.uk also approached the Palace for comment.
