Prince Andrew’s unexpected ‘secret weapon’ in King Charles stand-off

The Duke of York is reportedly set to bring in unexpected reinforcements in his months-long stand-off with his brother.

King Charles is allegedly threatening to sever ties with Prince Andrew over his failure to vacate his “crumbling” Royal Lodge.

And according to a royal expert, the Duke of York, 64, may deploy a “secret weapon” in his bid to stay at his $57 million Windsor-based mansion.

The King, 75, has redoubled efforts this year to evict his brother who shares the home with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, with insiders branding the stand-off the “siege of Royal Lodge”.

Editor-in-Chief of Majesty Magazine Ingrid Seward claimed Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie, could be key in helping him to stay.

“The princesses are Andrew’s secret weapon,” she told The Sun.

“They are very popular among the royal family and Charles is especially fond of them.

“They are his passport now he has lost everything.”

Ingrid added that Beatrice, 35, and Eugenie, 34, know their father is happy at Royal Lodge.

She continued: “It is his home and it has been their home for many years too.

“Their childhood was all over the place and Royal Lodge was the one stability they had.

“They love their dad and want to help him if they possibly can. Their mum can’t do anything but they can.”

Eugenie and Beatrice are very popular within the family. Picture: Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

Palace sources say the King, who is funding Andrew’s life, could “reconsider the levels of support he is willing to provide” if he refuses all offers of a new home.

The Sun exclusively revealed Andrew had rejected the chance to move into Frogmore Cottage last year after Harry and Meghan were served with eviction.

The shamed Duke of York, 64, who will never return to public duty after his Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal, has refused the King’s pleas to move out for 18 months.

King Charles III with Camilla, Queen Consort, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew at the Easter Mattins Service at St. George's Chapel in April. Picture: Yui Mok/Pool /AFP

Andrew is still refusing to budge, pointing out that he is in possession of a 75-year lease.

But a friend told The Times: “It can be done tidily or untidily. It can be done with grace and dignity or it can be forced upon him. It’s all rather sad.

“But as things stand, life at Royal Lodge is set to become increasingly cold and uncomfortable for the duke.

“The only question now is when he will realise that he has become a prisoner of his own pride – and that handing back the keys will afford him far greater comfort, and the continued support of his family.”

It comes as Charles is said to be unwilling to keep paying out of his own pocket to fund Andrew’s lavish lifestyle.

Sources close to the monarch claim he could be forced to “reconsider the levels of support he is willing to provide” if the so-called siege of Royal Lodge continues.

The disgraced Duke’s police protection was removed when he stepped down from public duty amid the Epstein scandal.

But Charles stepped in to pick up his multimillion pounds private security bill.

The crisis shows no sign of going away after Netflix screened its hit drama Scoop detailing Andrew’s ‘car crash’ Newsnight interview.

And there is yet another depiction of his shame in an Amazon series on his downfall where Andrew is played by actor Michael Sheen.

The scandal-hit father of two has kept out of the public since he caused controversy leading the family into a service for late Greek King Constantine at Windsor Castle in February in the absence of the cancer-hit King.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Prince Andrew’s unexpected ‘secret weapon’ in King Charles stand-off