Prince Andrew & the Sussexes’ evictions are about ‘money, not malice’

Keep in mind, the conversation about evicting Prince Andrew from Royal Lodge has been happening for months, years really. Basically, as soon as he withdrew from public life back in 2019-20, there were calls for Andrew to be evicted from the palatial Royal Lodge. Those conversations never went anywhere because QEII shielded him to the very end. When QEII passed away, I thought that King Charles would evict Andrew right away and put him on an ice floe, never to be heard of again. Instead, Charles took steps to protect and embiggen Andrew as well. Then, in the past month, there was suddenly a flurry of conversation about how Charles would force Andrew out of Royal Lodge just by cutting off his allowance. Andrew huffed and puffed about how Charles would basically have to pay him to leave because of all of the updates he’s done to Royal Lodge, and Andrew even suggested that he would sue Charles if he was evicted without reimbursement. All of that happened way before we knew that Charles had personally offered Frogmore Cottage to Andrew. Apparently, the Sussexes weren’t told that either.

Prince Andrew is said to be resisting the ‘down-grade’ from his state-subsidised 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor despite telling friends he fears he will be unable to afford its upkeep if the King cuts the purse strings. The Duke of York is set to lose £250,000-a-year in funding from the King as part of a shake-up of private royal finances with the monarch offering him the keys to Frogmore Cottage after evicting Harry and Meghan.

Andrew currently pays a reported £250-a-week for a state-subsidised 30-room mansion complete with 98 acres of land and a swimming pool – and is not keen to leave it when his £250,000-a-year grant may be axed from as early as April. It is understood Prince Andrew has been offered the keys to their five-bedroom home, a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle. But he is said to be resisting the ‘downgrade’ from 30-room, seven-bedroom Royal Lodge.

The Sussexes are believed to have not been offered an alternative property on any royal estate. A spokesman for the couple in the US last night confirmed that they had been asked to move out. They said in a statement: ‘We can confirm the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage.’

Sources claimed they had no idea that Frogmore was offered to Andrew until it appeared in the papers.

Buckingham Palace refused to comment last night. A source said any discussions would be a ‘private family matter’ – and one insider said the move was about ‘money, not malice’.

[From The Daily Mail]

About “money, not malice” – Harry reimbursed the royal estate whatever for the cost of renovations. He was paid up on the lease for Frogmore. How is this about money and not malice when it comes to the Sussexes? Now, I agree, that it’s mostly a financial issue with Andrew. Charles is beginning the process of cutting off Andrew or putting severe limitations on his allowance. But the thing is, Andrew is sort of right – Charles will have to pay him to get him out of his cushy lease. I would hope that the same is true for the Sussexes and Frogmore, that they will get the money back that they paid into the property. Which means this whole catastrophe will end up costing the Royal Estates millions of pounds just to break two leases (out of malice).

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.

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