Prince Andrew has begun renovating his Windsor home after falling behind on repairs, as the duke remains “determined” to hold onto the property no matter what.
The Duke of York currently lives in the sprawling Royal Lodge but King Charles reportedly wants his brother to “downsize” and move into the much smaller Frogmore Cottage, which requires less expensive upkeep.
In Prince Andrew’s 75-year lease agreement with the Crown Estate, it states that he must “repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair and where necessary rebuild” the home.
However, works have gone uncompleted and the King reportedly wants his brother to vacate as he no longer wants to fund his brother’s lifestyle - which includes a £3million-per-year security bill - at the 30 bedroom property.
The Duke, despite having no formal income, is steadfast in his determination to stay at the Windsor house, with sources claiming he is willing to maintain the £30million property at “any cost”.
The upkeep of Royal Lodge, which Andrew moved into in 2002, has cost him hundreds of thousands in annual maintenance work.
Contractors have allegedly begun work on the Duke’s beloved property this week, with erected scaffolding being pictured. A source said the most recent round of renovations has only commenced now that the weather has cleared up.
Speaking to The Express, they said: “The exterior paintwork could only be looked at once the weather improved and that is a task usually conducted every five years. Repairs to the roof were undertaken last summer, and the paintwork and windows will receive care and attention this year. Andrew is trying to keep within the terms of his lease.”
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The property’s upkeep has fallen by the weyside, with peeling paint and overgrown moss growing on the exterior of the house. As part of his 75-year lease, the Duke agreed to maintain the vast property, however, if these terms are broken, he could be evicted.
The contract also adds that the walls of the 30-bedroom property must be repainted “with two coats of paint” from 2008 onwards, whilst inside the house, the Duke has agreed to “paint with at least two coats of paint and to paper, polish, decorate and otherwise appropriately treat” every seven years from 2010.
Whilst external renovation at the property remains unfinished, the source said the renovations should be completed in a matter of months. They said: “Everything is being brought up to date by the end of this summer. Works have been in the pipeline for quite some time, hence why the scaffolding and skips have already been placed on the property and work began this week.”
The Duke, who stepped back from the firm after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, currently lives in the sprawling property with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
Prince Andrew receives handouts from his brother to live in and maintain the property, as well as fund his security detail, which began in 2019 after the Home Office stopped assigning police to protect the Duke once he stepped down from official duties in 2019.
If these payments were to cease, then Prince Andrew would have to fund his own security, house keepers, gardeners and home improvements all from his own pocket - despite having no discernible income.
However, “Andrew is determined to hold onto Royal Lodge at any cost. He will find the money from somewhere,” a source told the outlet last month.
The Royal Lodge is situated in the middle of Windsor Park, three miles south of Windsor Castle and is part of the Crown Estate.
