Royal insiders have voiced fears over King Charles possibly forcing Prince Andrew to go down the same path as Prince Harry, as the feud between the royal brothers continues.
The King and the Duke of York are said to have been in a dispute over Andrew’s living situation at Royal Lodge – where he’s been living with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2003 after being granted a 75-year lease agreement by the Crown Estate.
Andrew’s alleged struggle with the upkeep of the 30-bedroom property in Windsor, thought to be worth £30million, has caused quite a headache for the monarch, who reportedly wants him to move to the much smaller Frogmore Cottage.
Charles, who is celebrating his 76th birthday today, reportedly axed Andrew’s private security team and £1million a year allowance recently, in a bid to settle the dispute quicker.
However, the duke, who has no other official income after his Naval pension, appeared to have managed to secure funds for the upkeep of the mansion after The Times reported that his money was approved by Sir Michael Stevens, the keeper of the privy purse, as coming from “legitimate sources”.
According to the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden, the King’s latest moves have sparked concern among royal insiders and people close to Andrew.
He claimed one associate of the duke said: “Why is the King doing this? And why now? It makes no sense. The King hardly needs to save money.”
Another royal insider added: “Whatever you think of Andrew or his former wife, they have always been loyal to the Crown.
“It’s quite remarkable how Sarah has managed to pursue a successful career in public life, and has given countless interviews, yet has never said anything damaging about the Royal Family.”
The Mail’s Diary editor even noted that Andrew’s friends hinted that Andrew and Fergie’s loyalty to the crown “stands in contrast” with the “disloyalty” of Prince Harry, who made a series of explosive claims against the royals in his memoir, Spare, and his Netflix docuseries ‘Harry & Meghan’.
It is worth noting that since Spare’s release, the duke has not made any other comments about the Royal Family, apart from once instance earlier this year after his trip back to the UK following the King’s cancer diagnosis, in which he declared that “I love my family”.
Another outcome that is feared, according to the outlet, is that Andrew may be forced to go down the same path as the Duke of Sussex and speak about his own experience within the Firm.
Mr Eden wrote: “The King should call off the dogs and reassure Andrew that he won’t be booted out of his family home if his sources of income dry up. Otherwise, his brother might be forced to follow the example of Charles’s disloyal younger son and make millions from spilling royal secrets. And no one would want that.”
