King Charles is paying the price for his brother Prince Andrew being the late Queen’s ‘blind spot’, a royal reporter has claimed.
Calls are growing for the disgraced royal to leave the Grade II listed Royal Lodge but according to royal expert Roya Nikkhah, the Andrew issue has been many years in the making.
Andrew cannot legally be removed from the property due to his ‘cast iron’ lease but talks are ongoing with Charles’s courtiers to get him out of Royal Lodge.
After his car crash interview with Newsnight in 2019 where he had hoped to clear his name, Andrew was forced to step back from public life by Queen Elizabeth. This move had the support of the then Prince Charles and Prince William.
In 2022 after Andrew agreed a multimillion-pound settlement with his accuser Virginia Giuffre, his mother forced him to remove his HRH styling, military titles and patronages.
But the late monarch could not bring herself to strip her son, believed to be her favourite child, of his titles or persuade him to seek alternative accommodation.
According to Roya, this has worsened the problem for the current monarch. Writing in the Sunday Times, she said: “He (Andrew) remained her weak spot, and Charles is now paying the price.
“While the King, with support from the Prince of Wales, leant heavily on Andrew last week to voluntarily relinquish his titles and honours, the Duke of Hazard has still not fully bowed to pressure from the monarch. The King has made it clear for more than a year that he wants him out of Royal Lodge.”
The publication of the late Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir has heaped more pressure on Andrew, who has always vehemently denied Ms Giuffre’s allegations
Andrew gave up the Duke of York title and other honours last week after fresh allegations emerged about his links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes as a property expert offered some insight on the future of Prince Andrew in Royal Lodge.
Andrew cannot be easily forced out of the property due to what has been called a “cast iron” lease with the Crown Estate.
Should he agree to give up the lease early, he could reportedly be entitled to compensation of around £557,595 upon termination, plus yearly payments until 2028.
Elliot Castle, CEO of We Buy Any Home, explained: “From a property law standpoint, Prince Andrew’s situation at the Royal Lodge appears to be governed by a long-term lease agreement rather than a traditional rental arrangement.
“If, as reported, the lease terms were set out in 2003 with a significant upfront payment and refurbishment investment, then he would retain security of tenure under those agreed conditions.
“The reference to a ‘peppercorn rent’ is symbolic – a common feature in long leases where the tenant has paid a large premium up front.
“In simple terms, it means the occupier has effectively bought long-term rights to the property, even though the freehold remains with the Crown Estate.”
