King Charles holds the purse strings!
On Saturday, June 15, the monarch, Queen Consort Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children—George, Charlotte and Louis — attended the Trooping the Colour. However, Prince Andrew was absent yet again for the big event.
According to insiders, the disgraced royal staying at home for the sovereign's birthday parade comes as no surprise as he has not attended the ceremony over the last five years. The father-of-two’s being a no-show at the Trooping comes just weeks after reports claimed he was “cut off” by Charles.
Andrew has been seen as a black sheep ever since his association with s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein was revealed. Now that the 75-year-old has taken control of the throne, he has been urging his younger brother, 64, to leave his 30-room Royal Lodge home.
Despite Charles' wishes, Andrew has allegedly declined to move out of the house. However, the monarch is ultimately responsible for all of the royal household's finances and has the power to restrict funds from his sibling.
Though it is unclear if Charles has completely removed Andrew's expenses from the budget, the extortionate annual upkeep costs of the massive property would quickly become too expensive for Andrew.
In addition to the price of the home’s upkeep, Charles cover’s Andrew's £3million annual security bill. Andrew’s refusal to exit the property has apparently left Charles angry.
"The King's kindness is not without limit and there is a very good option for Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage, recently vacated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which also has the benefit of being within the Windsor Castle security cordon hence reducing the need for alternative round-the-clock security for Royal Lodge," a royal source told The Times, adding how Andrew is "taking longer than desirable" to "recognize the reality of the situation.”
According to a confidante of the Duke of York, Andrew is also standing his ground on the situation, noting he will "dig in" if the squabble continues. They also shared how Andrew has enjoyed a "stay of execution" due to ex Sarah Ferguson and the King's recent illnesses.
Back in 2003, Andrew signed a 75-year lease on the 19th-century Grade II-listed home, which features 90 acres and a pool. He currently lives there alongside his former wife, Fergie.
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Andrew was forced to step away from royal duties amid the Epstein scandal. At the time, he confessed, "[It’s] become clear [that] my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work."
The Mirrorreported that PrinceAndrew was "cut off."