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Prince Andrew has found himself with increasingly less royal duties and responsibilities in recent years. However, one thing he has clung to is Royal Lodge, his palatial home in Windsor Great Park where he has lived for over 20 years. But it seems even his grip on Royal Lodge may be loosening, as recent events show his brother King Charles is less willing to financially support Andrew's lifestyle there.
Royal Lodge has long been Andrew's family home, where his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie spent their teenage years. It also provides a residence for his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. After Andrew's fall from grace amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, it acted as a refuge where he could retreat from public life. For over two decades, Andrew faced no real threat to his tenure at the property.
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However, things have changed dramatically since the death of Queen Elizabeth. As the new King, Charles now controls the royal purse strings. He takes the view that such a historically important residence should be occupied by working royals. With Andrew stripped of his military titles and royal duties, he no longer fits that criteria in Charles' eyes. The optics of Andrew essentially living a life of leisure at Royal Lodge while not undertaking official engagements are not positive.
The latest sign that Andrew's grip is loosening is Charles' decision not to continue privately funding the 10-man security detail that patrols Royal Lodge's 98 acre estate. Meeting the substantial bill for such security would seem beyond Andrew's personal means. He relies on an annual allowance from Charles, on top of a modest navy pension, for income. Without royal financial support, Andrew could no longer afford to maintain not only security, but also the housekeepers, butlers, gardeners and constant renovations needed at Royal Lodge.
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Comprising 31 grand rooms, Royal Lodge has come to represent both Andrew's past extravagance and current situation. For the image-conscious King, this is clearly not tenable. While Andrew previously managed to come up with £200,000 for roof repairs to stay, losing the security funding seems a strong indication Charles wants a change.
Andrew now appears to spend most of his time at Royal Lodge engaging in fairly low-key pastimes. His outings mainly consist of horse rides in Windsor Great Park or golf on the private course he helped lay out at Windsor Castle. But one surprising new hobby I'm told Andrew has taken up is obsessively watching real-time flight tracking on a large projected screen at home.
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The one-time helicopter pilot is said to enjoy watching planes landing and taking off at airports around the world using a popular app loved by flight spotters. Just how a senior royal ended up with such a niche interest is curious, but it speaks volumes about Andrew's more limited world and need to find ways to fill his time since exiting public life in disgrace.
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Interestingly, over the summer the Windsors have all been gathered together at Balmoral Castle, including both Andrew and King Charles. However, people close to the family say it's unlikely Royal Lodge's future was directly discussed between the two brothers. Charles dislikes confrontation, especially when on holiday trying to rest. Andrew apparently tried to arrange a private meeting with Charles at Christmas but was rebuffed by Camilla, suggesting tensions remained.
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The saga of Andrew and Royal Lodge continues to enthral royal watchers. While he maintains his firm 75-year lease inherited from the Queen Mother, rising costs and his brother's diminishing support shows Andrew's occupancy may not last indefinitely. Only time will tell if he's able to negotiate staying in the property he's called home for two decades, or if this signals the end of era with the Duke forced to vacate Royal Lodge for good. Either way, Andrew's newfound interest in flight tracking seems a rather poignant indication of just how far his world and influence within the royal family have fallen.
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