Royal Family Member Could Be Evicted After King Charles Slashes Allowance - Report
It’s been a rough few months for Britain’s Prince Andrew.
In December, the younger brother of the soon-to-be-crowned King Charles III was informed he would no longer be provided office space at Buckingham Palace.
In January, he was evicted from his personal apartments at the palace — forcing him to find a new home for his extensive teddy bear collection.
Now 63-year-old Duke of York is facing another drastic lifestyle adjustment that will make it virtually impossible for him to stay at his home near Windsor Castle after Charles reportedly announced a plan to slash his allowance as part of an effort to trim the royal budget.
According to a report Sunday by The Times of London, Andrew “fears that he will be forced out of his luxury home in Windsor if the King tightens the royal purse strings.”
Andrew reportedly told friends that the loss of his royal allowance would make it financially impossible to afford the upkeep at Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion on 98 acres that was previously occupied by his grandmother, Queen Mother Elizabeth, until her death in 2002.
The U.K.’s Daily Mail quoted an unnamed source as saying Andrew is “not being explicitly kicked out but it’s expected that he won’t be able to afford the maintenance” without the £249,000-per-year (about $300,000 in U.S. dollars) in annual grant money that his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, paid him.
Another friend told the Daily Mail, “It feels as though his brother wishes to evict him.”
Andrew’s personal wealth reportedly has been recently reduced by as much as £12 million (about $14.8 million in U.S. dollars) after a settlement last year with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her while she was a minor under the control of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew stepped down from his royal duties in 2019 in connection with the scandal, though he continues to deny the accusations.
His only other known income is a modest pension from the Royal Navy, according to the Daily Mail.
Despite the setbacks, it’s unlikely his friends will be setting up a GoFundMe to keep him from begging on street corners or dumpster-diving for his next meal.
For one thing, a spokesman for the royal family told the U.K.’s Telegraph, “The King is not going to leave his brother homeless or penniless.”
Then there is the fact that the Duke of York came into “a substantial inheritance” after the death last year of his mother, according to the report.
Still, the Daily Mail hinted that Andrew may follow in the footsteps of his famous nephew, Prince Harry, in seeking some sort of side gig.
“Friends of the Yorks are already suggesting Andrew is looking to pursue commercial opportunities as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have done in the US,” the outlet reported.
Harry and his wife, Meghan, have caused more than their share of royal pearl-clutching with their television and book projects since they stepped away from royal duties.
Andrew is not the only member of the royal family who might have to do a little belt-tightening under Charles’ leadership, the Daily Mail reported.
One source told the outlet, “This is about Charles telling Andrew that he can use his own money to pay for things. The same goes for other members of the family, such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.”
The Telegraph reported that the budget-conscious approach will affect the coronation ceremony, which will be held in May.
“King Charles III has long had a vision for a slimmed-down monarchy, which will extend to his ‘cost of living’ coronation in May which will be less extravagant than previously, as well as reflecting his desire to be ‘the people’s King,'” the Telegraph reported.
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