Prince Andrew Royal Lodge, a former Home Park, is an impressive 30-roomed mansion. The stunning estate is set on 21 acres of exquisitely manicured grounds in Windsor. He shares a household with Sarah Ferguson, author and historian. It follows the news they’ve been able to stay put ever since leaving public life as senior royals. The Duke of York almost certainly now has a secure ironclad lease for Royal Lodge. As long as he complies with the specific terms laid out in the contract, he gets to keep this money.
The only situation in which Prince Andrew would leave Royal Lodge is if he leaves of his own accord. This has become a focal point of late, especially under the recent firestorm of hellacious pressures caused by his widely panned relationship with allegedly pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. Apparently, under the current state of affairs, Prince Andrew would prefer residing in Frogmore Cottage to living in retirement. This property was once the official residence of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Frogmore Cottage, too, just had a massive remodel in 2019, with completely new interiors. Prince Andrew has been rumored to be moving into this property. This potential opens up new and exciting conversations with Buckingham Palace over his future home!
“He has this ironclad lease as long as he maintains the terms of that lease,” – Royal biographer
Even after all this talk of relocation, Prince Andrew hasn’t paid any rent to the Crown Estate in over 5 years. His mediation history will only make it harder for him to become any sort of change in his future residential legal landscape. On top of that, he and Sarah Ferguson had already repaid £2.4 million of taxpayers’ money after leaving public life.
Public sentiment is having a hard time reconciling the optics of a non-working royal enjoying life in a 30-room mansion. This mistrust is warranted, and perhaps even more so given the recent news from the royal family. Royal biographer Margaret Ewing weighed in on the situation. Fourth, he added, “I don’t see any way outside of voluntarily that he gets out. The optics couldn’t be worse for a non-producing royal living in a 30-room castle.
With all this increasingly public pressure, there are indications that Prince Andrew’s daughters will play a role in his final ruling over Royal Lodge. If enough pressure is brought to bear – especially with regard to their futures – it could force him to change his tune, and his residency.
Sarah Ferguson from the ABC reported that the king has long intended to relocate to Adelaide Cottage. This property was said to have been offered to the royals several months ago, on top of Frogmore Cottage. Yet, talks on this proposed shift continue and still await a conclusion by the NYT.
As Prince Andrew navigates these complex dynamics, he finds himself in talks with Buckingham Palace about the next steps concerning his residence. What will come of these discussions is unknown. What his penchant for mansions on the other side of the planet means for the royal family is unclear. Public scrutiny is increasing over his current living arrangements.
