Prince Andrew's Royal Lodge home 'crumbling' and 'desperately in need of repair'

Prince Andrew's Royal Lodge appears to be in a state of disrepair, potentially sparking a new dispute over whether he should continue to reside there.

The Duke of York, who is currently disgraced and without an apparent income, was reportedly asked to vacate the 30-room Royal Lodge by the King last year.

It was suggested that Andrew, 64, could not afford the annual £400,000 maintenance costs for the 19th-century, Grade II-listed property, which includes a swimming pool and 90 acres of land.

Despite this, Andrew has refused to leave the former home of the Queen Mother, located in Windsor Great Park. Reports from October last year suggest he negotiated a deal to remain, provided he maintained the property.

However, our photos obtained by the Mirror reveal what appear to be worsening cracks in the brickwork and peeling paint on an external building.

A source commented: "The Duke of York has a clear responsibility for the upkeep of the Royal Lodge estate, which is certainly not happening. The state of the residence will be of great concern to the King after everything that has gone on and been discussed in regards to the house. Prince Andrew was told he must take charge of the necessary renovations or he will have no cause to stay in the house.

"There is no doubt the King will be alarmed at the true state of the residence after the duke assured him everything was in hand."

Royal expert Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty magazine and author of My Mother and I, said: "The reason Charles has the problems with Andrew is because of Andrew's inflated sense of self-importance, which is why he feels he should be living in a palace or somewhere similar."

Charles, 75, is said to have offered his brother Harry and Meghan's former five-bedroom home Frogmore Cottage on the Crown Estate. There's speculation that William and Kate along with their three children George, Charlotte and Louis, could move into the Lodge.

At the time of the agreement, it was reported that Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who shares the property with him, had pledged to assist him financially. It was later suggested that the duke was delaying a deal with the Crown Estate to demonstrate he could cover the repair bill and had "not been forthcoming" with financial details.

Andrew's finances continue to remain a mystery. In 2022, he paid a reported £12million settlement to sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre to halt a US civil trial after she claimed he sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17, which he strongly denies. He was forced to step down from Royal duties following his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019.

He implicitly omitted any apology for his association with the infamous late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in the letter. Just three months prior to this, Epstein took his own life behind bars whilst anticipating trial for sex trafficking charges.

A sum of £250,000-a-year offered to Andrew by the Queen Mother was alleged cut off by Prince Charles. Ever since then, any attempts by Andrew to reclaim his Royal privileges have been effectively directed off course by both the King and Prince William.

Ingrid added: "Despite extensive renovation, which was part of Andrew's agreement with the Crown Estates when he took it over, Royal Lodge is extremely expensive to run. As always, [Andrew's] financial situation is shrouded in mystery

"If he has the cash, he's clearly not using it on the upkeep of Royal Lodge. "The upkeep of a house of such magnitude could cost him everything he has and more. The Queen Mother allegedly gave him her 'absolute assurance' that he could remain in residence for as long as he wishes.

Prince Charles, on the other hand, has no intention to upset his sibling. "He won't force him out, but neither does he have any wish to finance him for the rest of his life."

Both Buckingham Palace and the Crown Estate have refrained from commenting.

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