A smiling Prince Andrew has been seen horse riding around Windsor Castle amidst reports King Charles had ‘threatened to sever all ties’ with him unless he leaves the Royal Lodge for his new home in Frogmore Cottage.
The disgraced duke, who no longer has official royal duties after being forced to quit over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, was seen wearing a burgundy shirt, black trousers and riding boots as he exercised his horses with a friend on Monday.
The 64-year-old appeared in good spirits despite claims that the King had told him to move out of the 30-room, £30million mansion he shares with his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York.
The King has long been trying to get Andrew – who has no apparent source of income – to leave the Windsor mansion amid rumours the Prince of Wales is keen to take up residence in the property to reflect his role as heir to the throne.
While sources close to the King said he is willing to pay for his brother to live comfortably out of his private funds from the Duchy of Lancaster, the level of funding needs to be appropriate.
A smiling Prince Andrew has been seen horse riding around Windsor Castle on Monday
The duke was seen wearing a burgundy shirt, black trousers and riding boots as he went for a ride around the grounds
The 64-year-old appeared in good spirits despite claims from a friend of the King that he was being told to move out of the 30-room, £30million mansion he shares with his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York by his brother
Andrew was seen exercising his horse with a companion around the Windsor grounds
The King has been trying to get Andrew to leave the Windsor mansion (pictured) amid rumours the Prince of Wales is keen to take up residence in the property to reflect his role as heir to the throne
A friend of the King told The Times: ‘Unfortunately, if Andrew refuses to leave within a reasonable time frame, then the King may be forced to reassess the whole package of support he provides and the duke would be required to fund the lion’s share of his security, accommodation and lifestyle costs all on his own – which, given the sums involved, is highly unlikely to be possible in the long term.
‘Everyone is mindful of his well-being, and has his best interests at heart, but there are limits of patience and tolerance.’
Following the King’s continued attempts to evict Andrew from Royal Lodge, a friend of Charles said: ‘As things stand, life at Royal Lodge is set to become increasingly cold and uncomfortable for the duke.’
Claims emerged last year that Andrew could not meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep of Royal Lodge, which is thought to be worth £30million.
It was reported that the duke was told he would have to leave the property.
He was granted ‘a stay of execution’, it was reported in October, after he did a deal with the King to carry out the repair works on the 19th century, Grade II-listed property.
But the state of the mansion’s exterior has since been exposed, with pictures which are said to show that it is still in need of some work potentially sparking a new row.
The Duke of York has lived at the 30-room mansion since he took over the lease in 2003
Andrew has reportedly refused to leave the property, leaving King Charles tired and frustrated
Frogmore Cottage (pictured), which was previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan, was suggested as a possible alternative but the Duke does not want to move
King Charles has long been trying to get his brother Andrew to leave the Windsor mansion
Andrew downsizing to live at Frogmore Cottage would make a significant saving, with friends of the King saying he would continue to pay for mobile security, but would not have to provide static security for the building.
Those with knowledge of Frogmore Cottage – which used to house the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – said it is in good condition thanks to the work carried out by Harry and Meghan before their move to the US.
Recent photos have revealed the state of Prince Andrew’s 30-room mansion which has fallen into disrepair amid an ongoing feud between the Duke and Charles.
Andrew first moved into the large mansion in 2004 and now lives there with his ex-wife Sarah.
He signed a 75-year lease, paying £250 a week and agreeing to maintain the vast property.
Part of the terms of this alleged deal with his older brother was that he would carry out repair works on the 19th century, Grade II-listed house, but these do not appear to have been done yet.
Andrew refuses to leave Royal Lodge having lived there for nearly 20 years
The stunning royal property is set among trees and woodland at the heart of Windsor Great Park, just three miles south of Windsor Castle
King Charles has long been trying to get his brother to leave Royal Lodge
It was reported that Andrew may have his royal allowance of £249,000 cut, making it difficult for the Duke to fulfill his promises.
He reportedly told his friends that such a drastic change to his finances would mean he would not be able to cover the costs of the estate.
Despite his possible money worries, sources close to the Duke said back in January: ‘Andrew is going nowhere. He has a cast iron lease.’
The Mail revealed last year that the King had offered his younger brother a more modest property but Andrew reportedly saw this as a ‘demotion’ too far.
The Royal Lodge sits in the heart of Windsor Park, three miles south of Windsor Castle and is part of the Crown Estate.