Prince Andrew gloats as Charles waves white flag in Royal Lodge standoff

Prince Andrew has had a rare win as it looks as though his brother, King Charles III, may have backed off over the royal lodge row. This means that the Duke of York will be able to continue living in the £30 million mansion without hassle, for now at least.

The King has spent the last year trying to evict Andrew from the lodge but despite him literally being the King, Charles is actually quite powerless when it comes to doing anything about his brother. The issue lies in the fact that Andrew signed a 75-year lease back in 2003 meaning he has the legal right to stay there as long as he continues paying rent and paying for the property’s upkeep.

King Charles backs off

In a surprising turn of events Charles has backed off reports The Express. This has reportedly left the Duke of York “all smiles” which is something he doesn’t get to experience very often. The prince has been an outcast from the royal family since his connection to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became public knowledge. 

His disastrous Newsnight interview coupled with recent scandals such as him befriending an alleged Chinese spy have only served to further paint him as a royal embarrassment. He is no longer a working royal and it looks like most of his family would rather he just disappear as evidenced by Charles’ efforts to eject him from the lodge. But despite it all, Andrew has clung on and managed to outlast Charles’ eviction attempt. 

Prince Andrew is not out of the woods yet

But this victory may be short-lived as royal expert Hilary Fordwich explains to Fox News that Charles’ decision to back off has not come from a change of heart. Andrew is “certainly not reclaiming any stature either in public or within his own family” according to Fordwich. Right now the prince is protected by the lease which is the only thing preventing him from being kicked out.

“His remaining in Royal Lodge is merely due to his legal rights derived from the original binding 75-year lease agreement from 2003 with the Crown Estate rather than anything favorable to Andrew’s redemption.”

Andrew must continue paying for the upkeep of the lodge or face losing it. The maintenance is expensive and the prince may not be able to continue paying. Us Weekly reported last year that damp issues and wear and tear were ravaging the old building. Cracks in the brickwork were also visible.

According to Fordwich the lease may be re-examined in 2028 as “the Crown Estate will then have new grounds to review or revoke the lease due to property maintenance disputes.” On top of that, Prince William is also reportedly eager to be rid of him and may try to do so as soon as he becomes king. So Andrew may be safe for now, but his future still looks very uncertain.