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Parts of Prince Andrew’s home appear to be crumbling – months after he refused to leave and reassured the King that he would see to its expensive repairs.
Claims emerged last year that Andrew, 64, could not meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep of Royal Lodge, which has 30-rooms and is thought to be worth £30million.
It was reported that the Duke of York, who has no apparent source of income and was forced to quit royal duties over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, was told he would have to leave the property.
He was granted ‘a stay of execution’, it was reported in October, after he did a deal with the King to carry out the repair works on the 19th century, Grade II-listed property.
But the state of the mansion’s exterior has since been exposed, with pictures which are said to show that it is still in need of some work potentially sparking a new row.
Andrew, who took over the house from the late Queen Mother on a long-term lease, has reportedly paid more than £7.5million of his own fortune for renovations
The Mail revealed last year that the King intended to evict his brother from the mansion on the Windsor estate and move him to a more modest property
Amid the quarrel over his property, one of Andrew’s friends last year described how there had been a ‘cooling of relations’ between him and the King
The Mirror published a picture which shows how part of the property requires a fresh lick of paint, and reports that what seem to be worsening cracks are visible in the brickwork.
The paper cited a source who said: ‘The Duke of York has a clear responsibility for the upkeep of the Royal Lodge estate, which is certainly not happening.
‘The state of the residence will be of great concern to the King after everything that has gone on and been discussed in regards to the house.
‘Prince Andrew was told he must take charge of the necessary renovations or he will have no cause to stay in the house.’
Andrew has lived in the home for 20 years, and signed a 75-year lease on it after agreeing to maintain it and paying £250-a-week.
Sources close to the Duke said back in January: ‘Andrew is going nowhere. He has a cast iron lease.’
The Mail revealed last year that the King intended to evict his brother from the mansion on the Windsor estate and move him to a more modest property.
Frogmore Cottage, which was previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan, was suggested as a possible alternative, but Andrew reportedly saw this as a ‘demotion’ too far.
Amid the quarrel over his property, one of Andrew’s friends described how there had been a ‘cooling of relations’ between him and the King.
The King’s younger brother was stripped of royal duties and use of his HRH title by the late Queen
Charles then held out an ‘olive branch’ to his brother by inviting him to Balmoral over the summer along with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
The brothers are said to have engaged in crisis talks during a family gathering there late last August, during which time the issue of Andrew’s tenancy was thrashed out.
Royal Lodge has seven bedrooms across the two top floors and Andrew shares the lavish mansion with just his ex-wife Sarah.
The mansion is in desperate need of repairs on top of the £200,000 roof maintenance Andrew has already paid for, including work to solve a damp problem throughout the property.
Frogmore Cottage, which was previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan, was suggested as a possible alternative
Andrew took over the house from the late Queen Mother on a long-term lease and has ploughed up to £7million of his own fortune into renovations.
In 2022, Andrew paid a reported £12million settlement to Virginia Giuffre, halting a civil trial in the US, after she said he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. He strongly denies the claims.
The King’s younger brother was stripped of royal duties and use of his HRH title by the late Queen, but is still able to attend family events, such as the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, in a private capacity.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
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