Ever since Charles became King there have been reports that he wants to move his younger brother, who is no longer a working member of the Firm, from Royal Lodge into Frogmore, both on the Windsor Estate.
Andrew is said to be resisting the move from his home of 20 years, where Fergie also lives despite their divorce in 1996.
However, following her eight-hour operation the Duchess of York is back home at Royal Lodge gathering her strength, which is putting any planned move on hold.
A source told the Mail on Sunday that plans to move out of Royal Lodge have been “quietly shelved” until she fully recovers.
Frogmore Cottage, which is far smaller than Royal Lodge, remains empty after Harry and Meghan were asked to leave the property earlier this year having not lived in the property since their departure from royal life at the start of 2022.
Last week the deadline for them to move their belongings out passed as their final items were shipped to their home in Montecito, California.
With Andrew’s annual grant from the Crown being cut there were concerns he would no longer be able to afford the upkeep at Royal Lodge, which requires millions of pounds worth of maintenance.
As part of his lease agreement the Duke agreed to cover the costs of refurbishments at his home and he has already invested a substantial amount of his money into the property.
His ex-wife has lived there with him for many years and the pair still have a close relationship as co-parents and now co-grandparents.
As Fergie recuperates at home a friend of hers told The Mail: “The surgery was very long – getting on for eight hours – and it was more involved than people think.
“Today, the message she wants to get out is that she is very grateful to those who saved her and she feels very lucky to be alive.
“Specifically, the Duchess wants to thank the two incredible surgeons Christina Choy and Stuart James who carried out the operation and all the medical team who worked tirelessly to help her.”
