How much work goes into maintaining a royal lodge?
The Royal Family have millions in property assets but the ones they live in take a lot of time and money to maintain.
Prince Andrew is reportedly desperate to save his costly home at Royal Lodge – even if it means trying to find work.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard claims that the disgraced Duke of York is “clinging on to Royal Lodge for dear life” as he struggles to secure enough money to maintain the royal property, Fox News reports.
“Prince Andrew has little choice of work, as most people won’t touch him,” Ms Chard claimed.
“There were murmurs of him carrying out the vast garden maintenance required.
“However, without help, this would be an impossible task. Andrew would also see this work as beneath him.
“Manual work is a far cry from his once-glamorous lifestyle.”
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UK property expert Terry Fisher recently told GB News that the 65-year-old prince is facing a £150,000 ($A300,000) bill to stop the Royal Lodge estate from “spiralling out of control.”
“Without regular attention, an overgrowth can quickly spiral out of control, requiring professional intervention to restore order,” he told the outlet.
“Maintaining 21 acres of gardens at a property like Royal Lodge would typically require a dedicated team of four to six gardeners, depending on the complexity of the landscaping,” Ms Fisher explained.
“Costs can vary, but hiring experienced gardeners could range from £30,000 ($A60,000) to £40,000 ($A80,000) annually per gardener, meaning the total annual maintenance bill could easily exceed £150,000 ($A300,000).”
“This would cover routine tasks like mowing, pruning, planting and general upkeep to ensure the grounds remain in top condition,” Mr Fisher added.
Ms Chard claimed that an embarrassed Andrew is attempting to lie low as immense scrutiny surrounds the royal property. She noted that Andrew would need to secure funds quickly to maintain the “dilapidated” home.
“Andrew needs to make millions to cover the upkeep,” she claimed.
“Work is pretty non-existent, well, thin on the ground as his reputation is in tatters … Securing sufficient monies since King Charles withdrew his funding has been a constant worry.”
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In 2019, Andrew announced that he was stepping back from public duties “for the foreseeable future” because of his association with late pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The son of Queen Elizabeth II said his history with Epstein had disrupted his family’s work and “the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support.”
The prince said he regretted his ties to the billionaire investor, who took his own life that year while in jail on sex trafficking charges.
According to the DailyMail, Andrew has been tending to the gardens of Royal Lodge in a bid to pinch a few pennies.
Despite the royal’s best efforts, the 30-room mansion is reportedly surrounded by shrubbery and woodland. As a result, the garden is in a “shocking state.”
It was previously reported that King Charles III ordered precious artefacts to be removed from Andrew’s home, due to maintenance and security concerns.
Now, only empty shelves are reportedly seen where the pricey relics were once proudly displayed.
Us Weekly reported that the sprawling 19th-century property is faced with dampness issues, as well as “wear and tear” that is ravaging the building.
It noted that “cracks are becoming worse on the brickwork,” and there is peeling paint, along with plaster falling off.
Like the home, Andrew’s “trials and tribulations will continue to unravel,” Ms Chard claimed.
“He has made unwise friendships and decisions but still has to secure money to maintain the home he loves dearly,” she said.
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Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge since 2004. He currently resides there with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
According to the New York Post, the prince narrowly avoided eviction last year after finding a mystery financial backer at the eleventh hour.
He has since faced calls from the UK government to reveal the source of his new-found funding.
Last week, Andrew faced fresh eviction calls after it emerged that he held a business meeting with China’s ambassador to the UK just days before his links to an alleged Chinese spy became public.
According to reports, the duke has spent over $14.1 million on repairs and renovations over the years and $1.5 million to take it over. His annual rent is a reported $530,000.
The Sunday Times reported the king did not renew the contract for Andrew’s private security team.
The monarch had been paying for Andrew’s security after the prince lost his police protection in 2022.
The security team is said to cost the king nearly $6.3 million annually.
At the time, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told Fox News Digital that the palace would not comment on “security matters.”
Charlotte Griffiths, the Mail on Sunday’s editor-at-large, reported in November that the monarch was extending a generous olive branch to his brother and paying his rent.
It’s believed that’s what their late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, would have wanted. For years, it has been said that Andrew was her favourite son.
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The Sunday Times previously reported that Andrew had raised enough money to stay in Royal Lodge.
According to the outlet, the prince’s funds were approved by the Keeper of the Privy Purse as coming from “legitimate sources.”
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of “My Mother and I,” stressed that rigorous upkeep — and plenty of funds — are required to keep the royal property in tip-top shape.
“It’s not just a little house in the middle of nowhere,” said Ms Seward. “It is huge and therefore needs a lot of upkeep.
“But I think that there’s no way he and Charles would’ve had a row about it, because Charles isn’t like that.”
“He wouldn’t have said, ‘You’ve got to get out,’” Ms Seward insisted.
“He would’ve suggested why it would be easier to get out. And Andrew said, ‘No, I want to stay.’ So, Charles said, ‘Fine, but I’m going to have to remove this very expensive security, and we’ll need to find an alternative.’”
“The Crown Estate would’ve loved to get Andrew out of Royal Lodge, because they could rent the whole thing,” Ms Seward said.
“It needs to be seen as making money. And as long as Andrew lives in Royal Lodge, that’s preventing them from making as much as they could. It’s just too bad that he is the late queen’s second son.”
While the duke secured a real estate win, Ms Seward noted, “I don’t think the future holds anything for Prince Andrew.”
Parts of this story first appeared in Fox News and the New York Post and are republished with permission.
Originally published as How much work goes into maintaining a royal lodge?
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