Parts of Prince Andrew’s home appear to be falling apart – months after he refused to leave and assured the king he would see to its costly repairs.
Claims emerged last year that Andrew, 64, could not keep up the £400,000-a-year upkeep of the Royal Lodge, which has 30 bedrooms and is worth £30 million.
It has been reported that the Duke of York, who has no apparent source of income and was forced to step down from royal duties following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, has been told he would have to vacate the property.
He was granted “a stay of execution”, it was reported in October, after reaching a deal with the king to carry out repair work on the 19th century Grade II listed property.
But the exterior condition of the mansion has since been revealed, with photos said to show it still needs work, potentially sparking a new row.
Andrew, who took over the house from the late Queen Mother on a long-term lease, is understood to have paid more than £7.5million of his own fortune for the renovations.
The Mail revealed last year that the king intended to evict his brother from the manor of the Windsor estate and move him to a more modest property.
Amid the row over his property, one of Andrew’s friends described last year how there had been a “cooling of relations” between him and the king.
The Mirror has published a photo showing part of the property needs a fresh coat of paint and reports that cracks which appear to be getting worse are visible in the brickwork.
The newspaper quoted a source as saying: “The Duke of York has a clear responsibility for the upkeep of the Royal Lodge estate, which is certainly not the case.
“The condition of the residence will be of great concern to the king after everything that has happened and been discussed regarding the house.
“Prince Andrew was told he had to take charge of the necessary renovations or he would have no reason to stay in the house.”
Andrew has lived in the house for 20 years and signed a 75-year lease after agreeing to maintain it and paying £250 a week.
Sources close to the Duke said in January: “Andrew is not going anywhere. It has a cast iron lease.
The Mail revealed last year that the king intended to evict his brother from the manor of 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 considered this a “downgrade” too far.
Amid the row 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 his royal duties and use of his HRH title by the late queen.
Charles then extended an “olive branch” to his brother by inviting him to Balmoral for the summer with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
The brothers reportedly engaged in crisis talks at a family meeting late last August, during which the issue of Andrew’s lease was discussed.
Royal Lodge has seven bedrooms spread across the two upper floors and Andrew shares the lavish mansion with his ex-wife Sarah.
The mansion is in desperate need of repairs on top of the £200,000 in roof maintenance Andrew has already paid for, including work to resolve a damp problem throughout the property.
Frogmore Cottage, which was previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan, has been suggested as a possible alternative.
Andrew took over the house from the late Queen Mother on a long-term lease and invested up to £7 million of his own fortune into the renovation.
In 2022, Andrew paid a £12 million settlement to Virginia Giuffre, ending a civil trial in the US, after she said he sexually assaulted her when she was 17 . He strongly denies these allegations.
The king’s younger brother was stripped of his royal duties and use of his HRH title by the late Queen, bIt is still possible to attend family events, such as the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, privately.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
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