Prince Andrew has devised a secret plan to remain in the Royal Lodge, a 30-room historic Windsor mansion, for decades to come, defying King Charles demands for him to vacate the premises.
A friend of the prince has revealed to the Daily Beast that Andrew intends to bequeath the lease to his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, ensuring they can use the property after his death.
“Andrew can sit tight and run out the clock,” the friend noted refrencing to Andrew's lease, which won't expire for over 50 years.
When asked if Andrew thought Charles might die before evicting him, the friend clarified that Andrew simply wants to stay in the property, which he is legally entitled to do, until Charles accepts his right to remain.
“Andrew wants his brother to live long and prosper. He is intensely loyal to the monarchy,” they noted.
The insider continued, “But it’s not exactly a state secret that Andrew is more than a decade younger than his brother, and that Charles has cancer.”
“Quite why Charles wants this distraction at this moment in his reign is a great mystery to Andrew’s friends. It looks childish and vindictive as I don’t think anyone except Charles would give a damn where Andrew lives if they stopped briefing the newspapers about it,” they added.
To note, Prince Andrew signed a 75-year lease agreement with the Crown Estate for the Royal Lodge in 2003, with over five decades remaining on the lease.
