Real reason Prince Andrew refuses to leave Royal Lodge exposed - and it's not Fergie
A royal commentator pinpoints the exact reason why Prince Andrew wants to stay put in Royal Lodge row with King Charles.
Prince Andrew's persistence to stay in the Royal Lodge has a particularly "symbolic" meaning, according to a royal commentator.
The Duke of York has been refusing to leave the 30-bedroom property in Windsor, thought to be worth £30million.
But the royal has been struggling with the upkeep of the mansion, where he lives with his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, as he is required to "repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair and, where necessary, rebuild" the mansion, according to the 75-year lease agreement granted to him in 2003 by the Crown Estate.
It's also specified that the walls of the mansion must be repainted every five years "with two coats of paint", while inside the house, the duke is forced to "paint with at least two coats of paint and to paper, polish, decorate and otherwise appropriately treat" every seven years, starting from 2010.
However, Andrew is thought to be determined to stay put and now a royal commentator has claimed there's a very particular reason as to why that is.
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Talk TV host Kevin O’Sullivan said: "[Andrew]has lost everything. And he doesn't like it. Andrew thinks he should be allowed a way back [into the Fold], so him hanging on to the key of the Royal Lodge has become symbolic for him."
The royal commentator added: "It's a symbol of his remaining power. 'While I still got these keys, I can still stand up to my brother [King Charles].' That basically is it as I understand it."
Meanwhile, royal expert Kinsey Schofield who appeared on the same show agreed with Mr O’Sullivan, adding: "I agree and looking at the pictures that we've seen over the last few weeks, it's a poor reflection on Prince Andrew that the building is falling to pieces and he's not really in a position to financially keep up with it at this point in time.
"He doesn't have a regular job and good luck finding one and with the way the world is right now, I think a lot of people are unhappy with his association with Jeffrey Epstein and they'd rather keep their distance."
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The Duke of York stepped down from royal duties in 2019 following the furore over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes amid the duke and King Charles's reported dispute over his living situation at the Grade II-listed property in Windsor Great Park.
The King has reportedly warned that he'll cease Andrew's funding of more than £4 million a year if he doesn't manage to take care of the maintenance.
It's been previously reported that Charles planned to have Andrew move out from the property and move into the much smaller Frogmore Cottage - the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
But Andrew rejected the offer and refused to leave his Windsor home, as he is determined to stay put.
