Prince Andrew believes King Charles does not have power to evict him from Royal Lodge

Prince Andrew has made a bold move in his ongoing dispute with the King over his 30-room mansion.

Prince Andrew has no intention of leaving Royal Lodge and believes the King has no power to boot him out, The Times reports.

In the latest development in the ongoing property dispute, a close associate of the disgraced Duke of York told The Times that the King’s younger brother believes he is secure as his name is on the lease with the Crown Estate.

Prince Andrew at the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. Picture: AFP

Prince Andrew, who has lived at the 30-room mansion on the Windsor estate for 20 years, is reportedly under pressure from Buckingham Palace to move to Frogmore Cottage.

King Charles reportedly wants Royal Lodge to be the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The smaller Frogmore residence was famously inhabited by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and used by the couple as their UK base before King Charles told them to vacate amid the fallout from Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir.

The associate, who is in regular contact with the Duke, told The Times that Prince Andrew believed he was secure in the property because his name was on the lease with the Crown Estate.

Prince Andrew is refusing to move out of Royal Lodge. Picture: AFP

“The lease is in the Duke’s name so no one can take that away from him,” the source told The Times.

“It has never been suggested that it could be taken away from him.”

Prince Andrew is thought to have 55 years left of his 75-year lease.

“This is a lease between him and the Crown Estate,” the source added.

“That’s not a matter for the King. It’s a matter for the chancellor of the exchequer. The only way you could get him to move out would be through an arrangement — he would have to agree.”

Prince Andrew’s residence Royal Lodge.

The source told The Times that the King was unlikely to put pressure on Prince Andrew because it would not make him a “very popular person within the family”.

They added: “There are other members of the family who would not want to see a member kicked out.”

Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after his infamous BBC interview in which he failed to offer sympathy to the victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In March 2022 he paid an undisclosed sum to Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused him of having sex with her in London after Epstein trafficked her.

Prince Andrew has always vehemently denied the allegations.

Royal biographer Tom Bower told The Times that Prince Andrew’s name on the lease would not necessarily provide protection.

He said the issue for the King would be the maintenance of Royal Lodge, which would cost in the millions.

“I think the King is right. He’s got to slim down the number of houses in the royal portfolio and Andrew has got to come to terms with his fate,” Mr Bower said.

“He can no longer live like a Duke. Frogmore will be a cold shower for him, but he’s just got to take it.”

Originally published as Prince Andrew believes King Charles does not have power to evict him from Royal Lodge