Prince Andrew's move to Sarah Ferguson's Mayfair home 'ruled out due to key issue'
The Duke of York could find a home in ex-wife Sarah Ferguson's Belgravia home but that might pose a security risk according to an expert.
Prince Andrew is embroiled in a bitter battle over his stay at the Royal Lodge, with King Charles reportedly hoping to evict him over a lack of maintenance which threatens the 75-year-lease his younger brother holds.
Many have pointed out that his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson owns a £4m property in Belgravia which currently sits empty and could home the pair, who live together but are no longer married.
The two-bedroom Georgian house is also conveniently a short distance from the homes of their two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
However, a royal correspondent has pointed out that this property is not a silver bullet to 'the Prince Andrew problem' and could not only cause problems for him but also places a burden on the UK taxpayer.
Royal commentator Gareth Russell warned of the security risks that come with placing Prince Andrew in the Mayfair house.
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He told GB News: “Moving someone like Prince Andrew, who is a brother of the monarch and also a very controversial public figure, into a private residence in the centre of one of the busiest cities in the world, is not something that can feasibly be undertaken unless there is a security presence there.
"Plus, that doesn't really solve the problem of how to keep Andrew safe without making him a burden to the taxpayer.
"To me, there doesn't seem to be any way in which Prince Andrew can relocate into Mayfair or any part of London without substantial security that either he pays for himself, which he won't be able to afford for very long, or is paid for by the taxpayer."
Mr Russell added: "And whatever one thinks of Prince Andrew, certainly, he is an immensely controversial figure.
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"Frequently in polls, he is the least popular member of the Royal Family by quite a distance."
The royal commentator believes Frogmore Cottage, the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, might be a better alternative.
He said: "Prince Andrew is also the brother of the sovereign, and as a result, he will be a target of terrorist threats and kidnapping, which is why the safest thing for him to do is to go into Frogmore, because it's within the Windsor security court, which means that it is within an area of Crown land that is already protected by security.
"So if he goes to Frogmore, he will be safe at no extra cost, either to the monarchy or to the taxpayer."
