Prince Andrew has been offered the use of one of the Queen’s favourite cottages amid reports he may be permanently evicted from his Windsor home.
The disgraced Duke of York has lived in the 31-room Royal Lodge with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson for more than 20 years. It was previously reported he could soon be forced to move out after the monarch told the on-site security team that they would no longer be needed once their contract ends in the autumn.
As a consolation for Andrew, the monarch is said to have offered him exclusive use of his mother’s old country house, known as Craigowan, on the grounds of Balmoral this summer. Sources added that it would be a welcome outing for the prince.
They told the Express: “Andrew has barely left Royal Lodge since Christmas so we are really looking forward to him coming to Balmoral with the whole family.
“He has become a bit of a hermit so the girls (Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie) are hoping that some quality family time will cheer him up a bit and bring him out of his shell.”
Andrew may finally be forced to leave his Windsor home by October as his private security services have been cut. The King has reportedly decided to fire his 10-person team to further pressure the Duke of York to leave his Royal Lodge home.
Charles has been funding private security for the Windsor residence since Andrew’s armed police are set to withdraw in 2022. “It’s no secret the king wants to get rid of him,” a palace insider said.
A source told The Sun: “They are all working in the final weeks of their contracts, which run until the end of October. It is thought that there is no one who can replace her.”
It was previously reported that Prince William and Kate Middleton would be offered a royal residence as a family home with their three children. However, experts point out that the couple currently seem very happy and content in their current residence, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Great Park.
Furthermore, Adelaide Cottage is set up as a family home and no staff live there. Moving to the enormous Royal Lodge would have meant having to accommodate household staff, a move that Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly resisted.