King Charles continues to face pressure this week to remove Prince Andrew from the 30-room Royal Lodge mansion he has called home for over two decades. While it is believed the monarch, 76, is in talks to remove his younger brother from the Crown Estate home, any action is yet to be taken.
This is because it is not as simple as handing Andrew, who has faced various accusations – which he denies – following his previous association with late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, an eviction notice. Instead, negotiations need to be held, as Andrew owns the lease of the property until 2078.
However, while talks may be ongoing, one royal insider believes there is only one real way for the King to get Andrew out of the Windsor mansion and instead into a much smaller residence.
Speaking to Richard Eden at The Daily Mail, an insider said the King needs to take an approach that may be seen in The Godfather, and that is to put pressure on Andrew by bringing up his children Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s futures.
The insider said: “He’s (Prince Andrew) always been transparent about his ambitions for his daughters.”
The insider then said that the King should take the following approach: “If you want to make sure your daughters are OK and are invited to Sandringham, and that they remain princesses, then you’d better [go] quietly.”
While Andrew dropped the use of his royal titles on October 17, admitting that accusations against him were a distraction for his royal relatives and their work, his daughters have kept their princess titles.
It is believed Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, will not be penalised by their royal relatives for the problems Prince Andrew has brought to the monarchy, alongside their mum and Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
Although they are believed to be close with their parents, the princesses have not commented on their recent scandals and subsequent downfall.
Prince Andrew and Sarah, who lives at Royal Lodge with her ex-husband, have also kept a low profile over the last few weeks.
It is believed that if they vacate Royal Lodge, they want two separate homes.
