Prince Andrew demands 'face-to-face summit with King Charles' as he has 'no plans' to move out of Royal Lodge
16 May 2023, 07:20 | Updated: 20 May 2023, 18:26
Prince Andrew has demanded a face-to-face 'summit' with King Charles amid growing pressure for the duke to move out of his Royal Lodge home.
King Charles has reportedly told his younger brother to move out of the home, where he has lived for more than 20 years.
But the Duke of York has 'no plans' to move, according to those close to him, as he intends to see out the property's 55-year lease.
He is "refusing to budge" from the property, a source close to Andrew told the Mail on Sunday, which is believed to be reserved for Prince William and Kate Middleton to move into next.
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"He is so fragile," a friend told the publication, amid reports Andrew has been in low spirits and even reclusive.
"He's refusing to see anybody. This has been his family home for the past 20 years. Is it really sensible to kick him out?," they added.
"He’s concerned that now the Coronation is over, the knives are out. He’s worried that the Royals might even turn off the utilities to get him out of there. But we’re dealing with human beings, not real estate."
After his income was slashed, The Duke of York will now only have his navy pension to rely on, with business investments not delivering much income.
But the King would not let his brother become homeless, a royal insider said earlier.
"This is about Charles telling Andrew he can use his own money to pay for things," a source close to the monarch said.
“The same goes for other members of the family, such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
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“And while there is leniency with working members of the family, who have offices funded by the Sovereign Grant, there have been other examples.”
The source added: “Charles doesn’t feel he should pay for the upkeep of ponies to pull the carriage.“He knows the public won’t want to see money wasted — particularly in the current climate.”
