NewsBite

King Charles fires private security team at Prince Andrew’s Royal Lodge mansion: report

Disgraced Prince Andrew is under new pressure to move out of his Royal Lodge home after the King laid off its entire security team.

King axes Andrew’s private security team

King Charles has fired the security team stationed at Prince Andrew’s longtime lavish mansion as the disgraced royal reportedly refused to “downsize” from the property.

Charles told the ten-man detail that their contracts would not be renewed in October at the 31-room Royal Lodge home, according to the Sun.

“They are all working the final weeks of their contract till the end of October. It’s not thought anyone is being lined up to replace them,” a palace inside told the outlet.

“Everyone is speculating this means the Duke will have to leave the Royal Lodge because what other reason could there be to take his security away?”

The disgraced Duke of York, 64, has lived at the A$56 million Royal Lodge, located on the grounds of Windsor Castle, since 2004 after he signed a 75-year lease agreement the previous year.

The King has been paying his younger brother A$7.6 million a year to keep him afloat.
The King has been paying his younger brother A$7.6 million a year to keep him afloat.
The security lay-off comes in the wake of reports suggesting Andrew has reportedly refused to vacate the Royal Lodge for the smaller Frogmore Cottage.
The security lay-off comes in the wake of reports suggesting Andrew has reportedly refused to vacate the Royal Lodge for the smaller Frogmore Cottage.

Andrew has faced eviction from the royal home since his friendship with the late pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein came to light in 2019.

He has also been neglecting payments to maintain the property — which requires an annual A$754,000 per year for upkeep, Us Weekly reported in May.

The 75-year-old monarch has been paying the private security at Andrew’s home since his A$5.6 million Met Police protection was removed when he was stripped of his royal roles by his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.

The King has been paying his younger brother A$7.6 million a year to keep him afloat.

“It isn’t a secret that the King wants him out,” the insider told the Sun.

King Charles III appears during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Houses of Parliament, on July 17, 2024 in London, England. Picture: Henry Nicholls – WPA Pool/Getty Images.
King Charles III appears during the State Opening of Parliament, at the Houses of Parliament, on July 17, 2024 in London, England. Picture: Henry Nicholls – WPA Pool/Getty Images.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York pictured on February 27, 2024 in Windsor, England. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York pictured on February 27, 2024 in Windsor, England. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

The Queen had summoned her third child to Windsor Castle in Jan. 2022 as Andrew was in the midst of his sex abuse case in the US. The security lay-off comes in the wake of reports suggesting Andrew has reportedly refused to vacate the Royal Lodge for the smaller Frogmore Cottage, the residence that his nephew Prince Harry was forced to leave in June 2023.

Andrew travelled to Scotland on Friday to join his brother and the rest of the royal family at Balmoral Castle. He will be joined by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and grandchildren on the Scottish estate, Express.co.uk reported.

Missing from the official guest list were Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle.

Andrew has been described as a “recluse,” barely leaving Royal Lodge since December.

“Andrew has hardly left Royal Lodge since Christmas so he’s very much looking forward to getting away with the rest of the family at Balmoral,” a source told the outlet.

“The King is keen for it to be a happy family occasion which will see members of the family come together for just over a week to discuss plans for the future and to unwind.”

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

Read related topics:Prince Andrew

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/king-charles-fires-private-security-team-at-prince-andrews-royal-lodge-mansion-report/news-story/95c4904950fe64edc9d44ff247a1300e