Andrew Royal Lodge bombshell as eviction delayed with new tough choice for King Charles | Royal | News
Andrew Mountbatten, formerly Prince Andrew, will not be leaving Royal Lodge, Windsor, immediately and is likely to remain in accommodation until at least the New Year, according to royal sources. The disgraced former prince was stripped of his titles and removed from the home he had lived in for more than two decades by King Charles last night.
Now the Monarch must decide whether he wants his brother on the cusp of royal Christmas celebrations at Sandringham or moves him into the mansion after the New Year. Royal sources told the BBC it would likely be the latter and that the former Duke of York would move out “as soon and as feasibly possible”.
But Majesty Magazine’s managing editor Joe Little said “it’s not all bad” for Andrew, who will move into an unnamed private residence at Sandringham Manor; The accommodation will be privately financed by the King, and he will make special financial provisions for his brother.
Mr Little said: “On a personal level this must have been quite devastating and the ultimate humiliation for him and we know he is quite an arrogant character but this must be damaging him mentally. It would be very strange if it wasn’t.”
“But again the future doesn’t look so bleak. So he won’t be at Windsor anymore, but he’ll be on a private royal estate in Norfolk, where he’ll have accommodation and will be supported in other ways by his brother the king, for whom this is an equally difficult time.”
“No sibling would want to do this to another sibling, but this sanction has clearly become necessary and some argue it should have been taken long ago.”
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the Royal Family remained “vulnerable” to further questions about what they knew, when they knew and the timing of their decisions to act.
He said: “Senior royals acted out of fear, not power. They fear further exposure of Epstein’s relationship with Andrew and they fear not being able to keep up with public opinion.”
“They remain vulnerable to lawmakers and journalists who continue to ask what they knew when; why they didn’t act sooner and how Andrew financed his deal with Virginia Giuffre.
“They desperately want to avoid questions about royal finances, including the amount of rent they pay for their various properties, as they seek to restore credibility and trust in an ancient institution.”
The fact that Andrew’s name no longer appeared in the official genealogy was an important step in the official abolition of his titles.
Dukes, including the Duke of York, are listed on the roll of nobility held at the Crown Office.
As Lord Chancellor, David Lammy is responsible for maintaining the peerage list.
