“King Charles battles to evict disgraced Prince Andrew from magnificent Royal Lodge estate as security; PR concerns mount over brother’s stubborn refusal to leave.”
King Charles resolved to eventually remove the disgraced royal from his opulent residence at the Royal Lodge; his relationship with his scandal-ridden brother, Prince Andrew, has become more strained.
Still, it’s proving to be an intricate and difficult project. Royal commentator Katie Fordwich says Charles is “beyond frustrated” with Andrew and describes their interactions as “guarded” and “mainly Machiavellian.”
The king appears to have grown weary of his brother’s adamant unwillingness to leave the grounds.
The protection of the valuable items kept at Royal Lodge, inside the Royal Collection, worries Charles most of all.
Experts caution the king against quickly ordering the evacuation of priceless artworks and artifacts based on insufficient security at the estate.
However, there are significant legal obstacles to overcome.
Royal Lodge is a Crown Estate property; hence, the king’s influence is not total. A long-term lease firmly anchors Andrew, making Charles’s options for outright removal seem limited.
Complicating matters further, the disgraced prince has come up with inventive methods to pay for the estate’s outrageous yearly maintenance expenses, which run at around $500,000.
According to reports, he has obtained other financial help, thereby enabling him to keep his tenure going.
For the royal family, this extended impasse is becoming a public relations disaster. The optics of Andrew, stripped of his titles and embroiled in controversy, are somewhat troubling as he clings to his opulent residence. But the king’s hands look bound.
Some have conjectured that Andrew’s children, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, would intervene to save their dad.
Rumors also circulate that Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, might be involved, following her invitation to the royal family for Christmas last year.
However, the fundamental question remains: what should Andrew do if he decides to finance his lifestyle through riskier ventures like a tell-all book or documentary? The royal family is cautious about further harm to its reputation.
King Charles must gently balance while the tug-of-war for Royal Lodge grinds on. He has to figure out how to rescue his brother without aggravating an even worse public relations catastrophe.
This difficulty testifies to the complexity and sensitivity of the House of Windsor.