Where will Prince Andrew dwell if King forces him out of Royal Lodge?

As the oft-cited ‘favourite’ child of Queen Elizabeth II, it was no surprise when, in 2003, the late monarch granted Prince Andrew a 75-year lease to Royal Lodge, for which he agreed to pay £250 a week and maintain the vast property.

However, claims emerged last year that Andrew, 64, could not meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep of the sprawling property, which is thought to be worth £30million. And now, according to the Telegraph, King Charles is thought to be withdrawing private funding for security at the home (believed to cost around £3million a year).

This means that unless the 64-year-old can generate the major financial resources to pay for the significant repairs the property needs, as well as foot the security bill, his armed guard unit will step down at the end of their 10-year contract in October.

While reports say that Andrew was granted ‘a stay of execution’ last year, after doing a deal with the King to carry out the repair works on the 19th century, Grade II-listed property, the state of the mansion’s exterior has since been exposed, appearing to show that work still needs to be done – suggesting that a move could well be on the cards.

And there are a number of royal residences he could move into. Following the coronation of King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton swapped their Kensington Palace apartment in London for Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. But it seems unlikely that Andrew would opt for a goldfish bowl property in the centre of the capital, and equally unlikely that he’d be offered residence in Buckingham Palace. 

Perhaps one London option could be St James’s Palace, where his daughter Beatrice has an apartment – or a Norfolk cottage that has been listed to rent out on Airbnb.

After all, despite claims that Andrew told friends he intends to see out his 55-year-lease at the property (which comes to an end in 2078), the King is reportedly increasingly keen to see his brother relocate to a smaller home.

But unless he upholds his side of the agreement, which includes repainting external and internal walls at five and seven year intervals respectively (among carrying out other maintenance), it could be the end of the Duke’s stay at the property.

It has been reported that Andrew could be so reluctant to leave the home as he sees as his last major royal tie –  the grand, sprawling £30million estate, set in the picturesque surroundings of Windsor Great Park, is where the then-Princess Elizabeth spent much of her childhood.

Originally used as a hunting lodge by King George IV, the once somewhat humble residence, which was built in the 1660s, was demolished by King William IV around 1830. 

He rebuilt the modest retreat into a vast and grand property, which offered royals a reprieve from their more formal life at Windsor Castle, boasting some 30 rooms, as well as a gardener’s cottage, six lodge cottages, and a Chapel Lodge.

But this splendour came at a cost: while living in the property from 1936 until her death in 2002, the Queen Mother oversaw multiple renovations, with updates making the property more modern and convenient, though not at the expense of its Georgian aesthetic.

With pictures appearing to show the once splendid estate falling into disrepair, what royal residences are among those the Prince could ?

Frogmore Cottage  

Last year, The Mail revealed that the King had offered his younger brother Frogmore Cottage, a more modest property than Royal Lodge, but Andrew reportedly saw this as a ‘demotion’ too far.

Andrew downsizing to live at Frogmore Cottage would make a significant saving, with friends of the King saying he would continue to pay for mobile security, but would not have to provide static security for the building.

Those with knowledge of Frogmore Cottage – which used to house the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – said it is in good condition thanks to the work carried out by Harry and Meghan before their move to the US.

Last month, it was reported that  Frogmore Cottage is still lying empty more than a year after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were forced out. Prince Harry was asked to remove his remaining possessions from the property just weeks after he published his explosive memoir Spare last year.

However, speaking at the time, a Buckingham Palace spokesman gave no clue of how likely it is that the Duke of York with live there, saying: ‘I think at this point I wouldn’t speculate on who would be the future occupant of Frogmore Cottage.’

The property boasts a rich history – indeed, it was once the home of Queen Victoria’s loyal Indian manservant Abdul Karim.

And from 1925 until 1934, the home was a place of sanctuary for Grand Duchess Xenia, the sister of Tsar Nicholas II.

Harry and Meghan were given use of Frogmore Cottage by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2018 as their relationship with brother William and Kate started to unravel.

It had previously been converted into five separate accommodation units for estate staff but was knocked back into one large home with a private garden.

Whilst the huge £2.4million cost was initially covered by the taxpayer, Prince Harry and Meghan subsequently agreed to foot the bill themselves.

During their renovation in 2019, the property was modernised and now includes a sleek kitchen with a marble-topped breakfast bar, herringbone wooden flooring and ‘cosy’ rustic brick feature walls inspired by Meghan’s beloved Soho House. 

It’s likely that Prince Andrew has spent time at the property, given his daughter Eugenie lived there for a period of time after Harry and Meghan’s departure. 

She moved in with her husband Jack and their son August in November 2020, but has since vacated the property to live in Portgual. 

At the beginning of March last year, a spokesman for Harry and Meghan confirmed that they had been ‘requested to vacate their residence at Frogmore Cottage’.

That decision came after the bombshell release of Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, in which he fired fresh salvos at his father King Charles and brother Prince William.

It means they no longer have a base in the UK and the property is believed to be empty.  

Wood Farm

Another contender for Andrew and Sarah’s future home could be Wood Farm, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

The unassuming cottage was the property Prince Philip chose to call home after retiring in from official public life in August 2017.

The red-brick, five-bedroom property with its spartan furnishings and cosy open fires has for years been a bolthole from stuffy palace formality.

Considered a ‘normal’ home, that might be more likely to house a low-key family than royalty, Wood Farm was once the home of the so-called Lost Prince – Prince John, the youngest son of George V and Queen Mary. 

The property’s location away from the capital would keep Prince Andrew further from the public eye, which is believed to be a wish of the King.

And the Yorks have spent time in the modest residence, reportedly using it as a base for the last two Christmases.  

The Garden House

Another contender on the Norfolk estate could be the Garden House, once the home of the late Queen’s head gardener at Sandringham.

The public was given an insight into the property when it was advertised for rent and advertised on Airbnb.

Decorated with furniture and artwork owned by the Royal Family, it was described as a ‘charming hideaway, owned by HM The Queen, nestled within the heart of her much-loved Sandringham Estate country retreat and the closest estate property to Sandringham House itself.

‘Furnished eclectically from the Royal Collection, all the furniture and pictures were once housed in a royal residence.

‘As well as the formal walled garden with its wonderfully stocked beds and borders in which the property sits, there is a more informal garden where you can relax in and children and dogs are safe to run and play.’

While the property remains on the website, there are currently no dates showing as available, suggesting it has been taken off the rental market for now.

It previously cost £237 and £354 per night to rent. 

Holiday cottages, the West Country

The Windsors have a portfolio of smaller cottages for hire, many dotted around the UK coast, including in Cornwall and the Isle of Scilly.

Several of these belong to the Duchy of Cornwall, a private estate caring for around 54,521 hectares of land in 23 counties, but mostly in the South West of England. Today this is owned by Prince William. 

In Cornwall, 28 properties are available for holiday rent, ranging from smaller one bed places, suitable for a couple, to larger properties, such as the sixteenth century Restormel Manor in Lostwithiel which is situated in unspoilt countryside at the head of the beautiful Fowey valley.

In 2010, before her marriage to Prince William, Kate Middleton and her family paid £3,000 to prospective father-in-law, then Prince Charles, for staying at Restormel over Christmas. 

The Middletons spent several days at the 500-year-old manor, which has a heated swimming pool, tennis courts and nine bedrooms.

Castle of Mey, Caithness

Should he be forced to move more further afield, the Castle of Mey near John O’Groats in Caithness could be another potential property for the royal.

The late Queen Mother bought it in 1952, restored it and used the castle as her summer retreat, falling for its isolated charm after hearing it was abandoned.  

She made annual visits in summer and autumn until her death in 1996.

Among the properties on the estate are the Captain’s House and the luxurious Granary Lodge.

The Captain’s House is a detached holiday cottage that offers self-catering accommodation. Previously known as Seaview House, it sleeps six people in two double rooms and one twin.

Its conservatory overlooks the garden and offers panoramic views looking north over the Pentland Firth.

Meanwhile, the Granary Lodge Bed and Breakfast on the estate is located between the Castle and sea.

Opened in May 2019 by King Charles, it has 10 bedrooms, including two suites.

The latitude means visitors can sometimes see the Northern Lights and the sunsets are spectacular.

With views out across the Pentland Firth towards Orkney, Mey is the most northerly-inhabited castle on the British mainland.

However, the King is famously fond of the Castle of Mey, and tends to visit the property each August. 

Transylvania

Perhaps the least likely properties the Duke could relocate to are one of the estates owned by King Charles near Zalanpatak and Viscri in Transylvania, Romania. 

Charles bought the estate in Valea Zalanului, Szeklerland, in the 1990s and now rents it out as a nature retreat to those wanting to explore the Zalán Valley and the surrounding mountains.

The guest house is situated near to the village of Viscri, surrounded by the The 400-year-old cottages have been decorated with traditional antique Transylvanian furniture, and textiles.

There are no televisions or radios in any of the rooms, just books. However, horse riding (a hobby of Prince Andrew) is one of the activities on offer, alongside trips to the nearby mineral pools.