King Charles III may be the new monarch, but not even his new power is enough to get his little brother to listen to him!
As Perezcious readers know, Charles has been busy downsizing the monarchy ever since taking charge after his mother Queen Elizabeth II passed in September. One of the most heartless actions he’s taken thus far was to evict his son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle from their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage. He’s now trying to force his brother Prince Andrew to downsize from a $37 million mansion, Royal Lodge in Windsor, to the five-bedroom cottage. And, just as you’d imagine, it’s not going well!
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According to Page Six sources on Tuesday, Charles has grown “tired and furious” as Andrew refuses to move from the mansion, which he has called home since 2003. One royal insider dished:
“Andrew doesn’t want to leave because the property is seen as a symbol of senior royalty — an important property in the family’s portfolio.”
But there may be another reason Andrew’s so salty about the proposed move! Charles is reportedly only kicking him out so Prince William can move in! Once again, the heir beats out the spare! The insider noted:
“But William, who is the heir to the throne, has his eye on it.”
Currently, William, Princess Catherine, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, are living in Adelaide Cottage, near Royal Lodge. They moved in less than a year ago, but are already finding the four-bedroom home to be too small, especially since William needs space for an office now that he has more responsibility.
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Royal commentator Joshua Rom told the outlet:
“The cottage they live in once belonged to people who worked for the royals – such as Group Captain Peter Townsend, who had a romance with Princess Margaret and who described it as an ‘ice box’ — and is very cramped.”
Joshua continued:
“It makes a lot more sense for William to have this house to reflect his new role particularly as Andrew is no longer a ‘working royal’ and therefore doesn’t need an office or to entertain dignitaries.”
With the Duke of York resisting the move, Charles has been left “infuriated” at a time when he should be focused on the upcoming coronation, which will take place in London on May 6. A source said:
“Relations between the king and his brother have never been this bad. It has turned into a real battle which he never expected and it’s left him tired and infuriated.”
Royal biographer Nigel Hawthorne, who is currently writing a book about Charles and Andrew’s relationship, also noted:
“Their relationship has never been easy and they have always been in competition with each other. While Charles’ navy career was little more than captain of some antiquated minesweeper, Andrew fought in the Falklands War and came back a war hero.”
The author went on:
“But the problem with being the spare is that every time there is a new birth you slip down the rankings and [Andrew] has been completely eclipsed. Charles is King and holds all the power.”
Interestingly, despite this housing issue, Charles did extend an olive branch to the 63-year-old over the weekend. Most of the royals were spotted walking to Easter service on Sunday, with Andrew taking a prime position in the procession just behind Charles and Queen Camilla. It was the biggest showing of senior royals this year, including Princess Anne. Peter Hunt, a former BBC correspondent, said of the sighting on Twitter (see HERE):
“Nothing happens by chance with the royals.”
Joshua Rom added:
“This is the King saying that he is there for Andrew in a personal capacity and a big show of family unity ahead of the coronation. This is the King showing strength with the backing of his siblings — but it is unlikely it will mean anything new for Andrew. This was not an official engagement; he is still disgraced and unlikely to have a role at the Coronation.”
But perhaps the King’s decision to let Andrew back into the fold was his way of trying to get Andrew to soften up to his demands? We’ll have to wait and see if it worked…
As for the mansion, the 74-year-old monarch wants to be seen as a frugal king, particularly because the UK is experiencing a “cost of living crisis” amid inflation. So, he is taking many efforts to slim down the royal family — including taking away free housing for royals who aren’t deemed important enough.
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Andrew signed a 75-year lease on the Lodge after the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who lived there before him. She also spent millions fixing up the place. Part of the reason Charles is so focused on getting his younger brother out of the 30-bedroom mansion is that some insiders believe he was given a reason to evict Andrew. Recent press reports claim Andrew complained to friends that his mother left all her money to Charles for tax purposes, meaning he couldn’t afford to renovate Royal Lodge, including fixing roof and mold problems. If Andrew can’t afford to maintain the property, then it gives His Majesty (as owner) more reason to throw him to the curb. Hawthorne explained:
“While I don’t think we will see Charles calling the bailiffs in, he can turn the screws more on Andrew by cutting off his money even more.”
He continued:
“Andrew has very little money of his own — which is partly why he depends on his rich businessmen friends to fund him. If he can’t afford the maintenance on a large place like Royal Lodge, he may begin to see that he will have no choice but to move.”
Jeez. This is almost getting as ugly as Harry and William’s feud! At least Andrew’s been offered another home… unlike the Sussexes! Harry and Meghan reportedly have until after the coronation to pack their bags and we’d assume Charles would want Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage pretty quickly after they leave, so it’s only a matter of time now! What do YOU think Andrew will do?? Send your guesses (below)!
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