Sarah Ferguson is grateful that she still gets to live in the Royal Lodge despite having long been divorced from Prince Andrew. But she may already be regretting having stayed there this long, as she’s now caught in the middle of a feud between her ex-husband and King Charles III over the mansion.
Charles wants his brother out of the 30-room manse because he knows he can no longer afford to maintain its upkeep. The place is falling apart, with paint peeling off on the outside and the interiors are reportedly also in need of repairs. But without a steady income and no $1.3 million allowance from his older brother, the Duke of York would have to rely on the generosity of others to keep him financially afloat.
And just when the monarch was about to kick him out of the $38 million estate, Andrew suspiciously procured the funds that would allow him and his ex-wife to continue living at the mansion. Sir Michael Stevens, the keeper of the privy purse, has approved the money “as coming from legitimate sources,” although the rumblings are that the disgraced royal has a rich benefactor supporting his lavish lifestyle.
But doubts still continue on whether Andrew can still afford to stay in the Royal Lodge when he no longer has financial backing. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams noted that “it’s abundantly clear that it would be very difficult for him to keep up the property…in the style that the lease demands.”
“The problem, however, is how you remove somebody who’s absolutely determined to stay and one of the difficulties in all the speculation that’s gone on about this is that we simply don’t know how much money Andrew has,” he said.
Andrew may still have money left from the sale of the family’s Swiss ski chalet in Verbier two years ago for over $24 million (£19m). Fitzwilliams noted that Ferguson, or Fergie as she’s famously known, also bought a property in Mayfair for around $2 million (£2m) and that there have reportedly also been donors. So Andrew may not be totally cash-strapped as he makes himself out to be.
But in a worse case scenario, Charles has asked him to relocate to the much smaller Frogmore Cottage. But the Duke is adamant he deserves the Royal Lodge and this has only led to “frustration and… animosity between the brothers” according to Fitzwilliams. Andrew “feels he has nothing to lose, is digging his heels in and not budging,” and all the media attention the situation is getting has worn Fergie out, because Andrew still turns to her for support.
“Andrew is still hyper dependent on her and expects her to take his side in everything, no matter what, which is really asking an awful lot since there’s so much at stake for Sarah,” an insider said, adding that while Fergie still loves him like a brother, she “also needs to think of her own future and the reality is if she gets on the bad side of Charles it could cost her a whole lot.”
It’s said Fergie is already anticipating an “incredibly awkward” Christmas with the Royals this year, because Charles allegedly doesn’t want his brother “to even show his face at Sandringham.” This reportedly “directly impacts Sarah because she’s going to have no choice but to take Andrew’s side.” The source claimed that “she’s actually very welcome but she can’t very well go if Andrew is banned.”
But if Charles invites him again as he did last year, then Fergie will have “to show him some support or he’ll fly off the handle. It’s a total nightmare for her, she’s so sick and tired of being dragged down by him.” As for Charles, he just wants his Andrew problem gone for the sake of the reputation of the Royal Family. He wishes his brother “would see sense” and realize that with his reputation at an all-time low it’s “not a good look” for him to continue living in the Royal Lodge.