The Duke of York signed a 75-year lease agreement with the Crown Estate for the Royal Lodge in 2003 Prince Andrew's calculated strategy to stay at the Royal Lodge has come to light amid his ongoing conflict with King Charles.
The King has asked the Duke of York to relocate to a smaller residence, with Frogmore Cottage being the likely alternative.
Despite this request, Andrew is unwilling to move, as he is not required to leave the Royal Lodge, which he leased for 75 years in 2003, with over 50 years still remaining. According to an insider, Andrew plans to outlast his brother while their dispute shows no signs of resolution.
The source told the Daily Beast: "Andrew can sit tight and run out the clock."
They continued: "Andrew wants his brother to live long and prosper. He is intensely loyal to the monarchy.
"But it’s not exactly a state secret that Andrew is more than a decade younger than his brother.
"Quite why Charles wants this distraction at this moment in his reign is a great mystery to Andrew’s friends.
"It looks childish and vindictive as I don’t think anyone except Charles would give a damn where Andrew lives."
Prince Andrew signed a 75-year lease agreement with the Crown Estate for the Royal Lodge in 2003.
Andrew is refusing to leave Royal Lodge and plans to pass his lease over to his daughters after his death.
The lease has 54 years remaining on it and Andrew plans to honour the terms of the agreement.
Currently, the Duke of York plans to bequeath the lease to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie so that they can use the property after his death for the remaining years of the agreement.
A former courtier said: "The whole thing is a mess and arguing about it publicly is not helping the King.
"Ultimately, Andrew will have to be given something to surrender the lease."
