King Charles is reportedly hoping that the financial pressure of maintaining Royal Lodge will eventually force Prince Andrew out of the property, according to an expert.
Ever since the disgraced Duke of York quit as a working royal, he has still been able to live at the Windsor mansion, which he signed a 75-year lease for when he moved in in 2003.
Last year it was reported that Andrew had been asked to move into the smaller Frogmore Cottage after it was vacated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, however he rejected the idea as he claimed he needed the space.
Now that his annual grant has been cut, and with Royal Lodge in need of refurbishments funded by Andrew himself, it has been speculated that the mounting costs may see the Duke default on his lease.
A source told Express.co.uk: “It won’t be easy but there’s no other way of removing Andrew from the fold without demoting him and cutting off his funding. It’s basically trying to force him out by ensuring that he is unable to meet the costs so that he defaults on the lease.
“Although the King adores his brother, he must put the monarchy first and do what’s best for the family. That means ensuring that Andrew never conducts another royal engagement and removing him from a rather significant royal residence on the Windsor estate.”
The source added that Prince William and Princess Kate have their eye on Royal Lodge for their own young family, as their current property Adelaide Cottage is too small.
They said: “It’s no secret that William and Kate have been trying to secure Royal Lodge for their family. They are in desperate need of a larger property to accommodate their household.
“The wheels finally seem to be in motion to remove Andrew from the property which William and Kate welcome and support wholeheartedly.”
Royal Lodge was apparently originally earmarked for the Wales family, who relocated to Windsor in 2022, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis now attending the nearby Lambrook School.
An insider previously said about William and Kate’s home Adelaide Cottage: “William and Kate love the cottage but it’s just too small for them.
