Prince Andrew must paint his Windsor home every five years with “two coats of paint” under the conditions of his lease, though he is allegedly already a year behind.
The Duke of York currently lives in the sprawling Royal Lodge but the King 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.
It 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.
However, external renovation at the £30million property, which was due to be completed last year, remains unfinished.
The King allegedly no longer wants to fund his brother’s lifestyle at the property, however according to reports, the Duke is determined to remain at Royal Lodge, which he moved into in 2002.
Prince Andrew’s £3million-per-year security bill is currently funded by the monarch, as well as grants of up to £1million annually that give him a living allowance.
He began relying on handouts from his elder brother for security details after the Home Office stopped assigning police to protect the Duke once he stepped down from official duties in 2019.
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Royal Lodge was formerly the home of the Queen MotherPAThe Duke, who stepped back from the firm after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, currently lives in the sprawling property with his ex-wife Sarah Fergunson.
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.
A royal source told The Times: “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.
“He is taking longer than desirable to recognise the reality of the situation, even though it is clearly the most sensible course of action.
Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and patronages in 2022Getty
“If he doesn’t agree to move to a property better suited to his needs, then the King may have to reconsider the levels of support he is willing to provide.”
Another source added: “Everyone is mindful of his wellbeing, and has his best interests at heart, but there are limits of patience and tolerance.”
The Royal Lodge is situated in the middle of Windsor Park, three miles south of Windsor Castle and is part of the Crown Estate.