Prince Andrew and the drama surrounding his royal living conditions is a "bad look" for King Charles, according to a veteran royal author.
Andrew lives at the palatial Royal Lodge property located near Windsor Castle, which was formerly the home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. After her death the residence entered the Crown Estate property portfolio and in 2003 Andrew approached them about taking on a lease for the main mansion house, a series of nearby cottages and 98 acres of land.
In exchange for a 75-year lease, Andrew committed to pay over £7.5 million ($9.9 million) in refurbishment costs and an additional £1 million ($1.3 million) premium payment to the Crown Estate. The prince currently lives at the property with his ex-wife, Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, and after his death, the remainder of the lease is set to be inherited by the couple's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Speculation surrounding Andrew's residency at Royal Lodge resurfaced earlier this month when reports suggested that King Charles had withdrawn funding for the private security team who protect the property.
A 2023 biography claimed that the Lodge sits outside the police protection ring that is funded by the state which covers Windsor Castle and a limited perimeter surrounding it. The private security measure was said to be paid for personally by Queen Elizabeth II, and was taken over by King Charles after his accession.
Andrew has been steeped in controversy for a number of years, and since he stepped down from his public roles and was stripped of his royal patronages following sexual assault allegations made in connection with his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—which he has denied—his residence at Royal Lodge has drawn repeated criticism.
Reports have suggested for a number of months that King Charles wishes for his brother to move into Frogmore Cottage, a much smaller residence nearer to Windsor Castle and within the already established police ring, something that Andrew has been hesitant to address.
Speaking to The Sun's Royal Exclusive web show, royal author Robert Jobson has said that Andrew's move is a near inevitability.
"I think he'll have to leave Royal Lodge," he said. "Bottom line is it needs a lot of static security. It's not a lodge, it's a palace. It's too big for him and Fergie, to live in.
"His argument is that he's spent a lot of money on renovations and he's got a long contract signed off by the queen for him to stay there, but the reality is he can't really afford it. And also long term, what is the point? What's he trying to achieve? I don't really understand.
"The king, you know, is now the king. He's got his son. William is the next in line. Andrew's now further away from any real realization. He's not working royal anymore and I think he's probably got to realize that he can't really go around saying, 'I'm Queen Elizabeth's second son, I'm very important.' He's not that important anymore and I think that if the king is gonna be generous enough to offer him somewhere else to live at a much a subsidized rent, or even free, then he should take it."
On how scandal-ridden Andrew continues to prove an obstacle facing the monarchy in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death, Jobson added that it may be time for Andrew to "disappear" from public life altogether to protect himself and his finances.
"I think the king is looking at this and it's a bad look," he said. "The press won't leave the story alone. It's one that keeps coming back. I think mainly because his people are briefing on it but the reality is he doesn't want to really leave.
"But there's gonna be a point where he's [financially] exposed, and I think that financially, it's probably best for him to sort of just disappear. I think that he's seen around Windsor a lot. There are a lot of paparazzis around there. They're always taking photographs of him out riding on his horse or whatever he's doing. And the story, you know, let's not get away from the fact that the Epstein story is, in terms of public relations, an absolute disaster for the king and the royal family, because it's just one of the worst things you can have. That's why he's no longer working royal. Yet he doesn't seem to get it."
Newsweek approached Buckingham Palace via email for comment.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
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