King Charles 'will starve Andrew out' as battle over Royal Lodge with Duke continues

Prince Andrew will eventually be obliged to leave his home in Royal Lodge, Windsor, despite the Duke of York intending to stay in the property, a source has claimed.

A friend of King Charles said the monarch remains "utterly determined" that Andrew will have to vacate Royal Lodge. Speaking to US news outlet The Daily Beast, they said: "It’s been compared to a siege and that is accurate in one respect because Charles will starve Andrew out.

"Security is just a first step. He will cut all financial support if he has to. It’s Andrew’s choice how this goes. Charles is the King, and if he wants Andrew gone, Andrew will be gone in the end."

It comes as King Charles reportedly laid off younger brother Prince Andrew's 10-person private security team at Royal Lodge, where he resides with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.

In 2003, the late Queen Elizabeth granted her 'favourite' son Prince Andrew a 75-year lease on Royal Lodge, for just £250 a week and a promise to maintain the property.

However, last year it emerged that Andrew, 64, could not meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep costs of the 30-bedroom home and King Charles is now said to be withdrawing private funding for security on the estate which currently costs £3 million a year.

This means that unless the Duke of York can generate the financial resources to pay for repairs the property needs, as well as pay for security, he could be forced to leave the property - with Andrew needing to make a decision about his future home.

According to reports, King Charles has already lined up Andrew’s replacement at Royal Lodge, a move that could be seen as particularly stinging for the Duke of York.

Prince Edward, King Charles’s youngest brother, and his wife, Sophie, who are the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, may be reportedly offered to move into the property. This decision is said to be a reward for their increased royal duties and public service, especially during a challenging year for the Royal Family.

Royal expert Richard Kay claimed: "Charles has entertained the thought of offering Royal Lodge to his youngest brother, Prince Edward."

He added: "The two haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but the King has been hugely impressed by the manner in which Edward and his wife, Sophie, have increased their workload since their elevation to Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh."

While the prince refuses to be ousted from Royal Lodge, it has been reported that Prince Andrew has taken up a very "nerdy" hobby beloved by planespotters at his home in Windsor to pass the time.

The Duke of York has become "obsessed" by a live flight tracker app, which shows air traffic in real-time all over the world.

Writing in his column, Daily Mail's Mr Kay penned: "This year, an additional diversion, I understand, has been a live flight tracker, which he has projected – via his home computer – onto a large screen which shows air traffic in real time."

He added: "According to a visitor to Royal Lodge, the prince has become obsessed by the app beloved of planespotter nerds."

The Duke of York has long admired aviation and travel having served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot and warship captain during the Falklands War in 1982. He was commended for his bravery in the Falklands War flying decoy missions to draw Argentine missiles away from the ships of the British task force.

Express.co.uk has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.