In a surprising twist within the royal family, Prince Andrew is reportedly prepared to stand his ground against King Charles amid claims of his financial independence.
Following the King's suggestion that Andrew downsize to Frogmore Cottage, tensions have escalated as the Duke of York remains adamant about staying at the Royal Lodge, where he currently resides with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
Prince Andrew is "set to defy King Charles" following claims that the Duke of York "has the funds to pay for his own security."
The Duke of York has reportedly refused to leave the Royal Lodge after King Charles suggested the Prince downsize to Frogmore Cottage, the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
This situation arises after his brother King Charles is said to have removed Andrew's £1 million-a-year allowance, which he relied on to fund his living expenses and security team.
"Prince Andrew is holding firm and is determined to stay in the Royal Lodge," a source told The Sun.
"He is insistent that he has the funds to pay for his own security, despite the eyewatering seven-figure sum it is reportedly costing him. He is no longer a financial burden on the King and sees no reason why he should have to move from his home."
The monarch has supported the Duke of York with a £1 million allowance since 2019, when he stepped down as an official working royal following public backlash after discussing his friendship with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during his 2019 Newsnight interview.
It has been reported that the King instructed his Keeper of the Privy Purse, the monarch's finance director, to cut the Duke of York's annual personal allowance.
In addition, the King, 75, is believed to no longer fund Andrew's seven-figure private security detail. Royal commentator Robert Hardman claims that the late Queen Elizabeth II would have evicted the Duke of York if she had lived another year. In August this year, it was reported that Charles had laid off Andrew's 10-strong private security detail.
Hardman revealed the latest claims in an updated edition of his biography, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story. The former adviser to Queen Elizabeth told the Daily Mail: "Had she lived another year, he would have been out. It was her plan to move him out, to end the lease for the Sussexes at Frogmore Cottage and to move Andrew in there. It was mainly a money thing, as she could see it was becoming unsustainable."
The Duke of York currently lives at Royal Lodge with his former wife, Sarah Ferguson. A Palace insider told The Sun that it is not thought anyone is being lined up to replace the Duke and Duchess of York in the property.
