King Charles May ‘Shake up the Royal Property Portfolio’ by Leaving the Royal Lodge Vacant After Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew may be the last British royal to live at the Royal Lodge. As the Duke of York’s battle with King Charles III about the property rages on, one option is reportedly to leave the sprawling home vacant in the coming years. Ahead, what Andrew wants to happen to his longtime home. Plus, which British royals could find themselves moving in if it doesn’t end up sitting empty.
The Royal Lodge may no longer be a residential home after Andrew
Currently, Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, live at the 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor, England. Andrew signed a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate in 2003. According to GB News, he plans to honor the remaining 54 years (more on that later).
While the king tries to get his 64-year-old brother out of the Royal Lodge—renovation costs are reportedly in the millions, and Andrew has no official income as a non-working royal—there may be another way to go with the property.
“It could also be that this is part of another move by the King to slim down or shake up the royal property portfolio,” Gareth Russell, a royal author, told the outlet.
“It’s not the case that we’re seeing them being replaced by other royals as much as they were in the past. So it may be that Royal Lodge is just put to different use once Prince Andrew leaves. It’s possible that no one will go into Royal Lodge.”
Maybe it will go the way of Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s summer retreat in Scotland, which is now open for tours when royals aren’t in residence.
The Royal Lodge could also become home to other senior royals
Another option besides leaving the Royal Lodge vacant is, per Russell, for other royals to move in.
The “Royal Lodge has a high-profile history within the royal family,” he said. “Bear in mind, it was the last home of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. So it’s traditionally been assigned to senior royals.”
“The logical choice, of course, would be the Prince and Princess of Wales.” They live at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, England, with their children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
The family of five has lived in Windsor since relocating from Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A in 2022. William and Kate have “shown relatively little interest in moving home again,” he added, noting “they seem quite content where they are.”
Then there’s Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. They’re also senior royals who “could” potentially end up at the Royal Lodge.
Andrew wants the Royal Lodge to go to his daughters
According to the Mirror, Andrew’s not only refusing to vacate his longtime home, but he has a reported plan to pass it down to his daughters, Princess Beatrice, 35, and Princess Eugenie, 34, upon his death.
However, Andrew’s plan is not without its problems. “The issue with [the] Royal Lodge is it is going to cost an awful lot of money to renovate,” an insider said. “And no one is any wiser as to how the Duke will be able to meet those expenses.”
“It’s very difficult to see why Beatrice or Eugenie would want the burden of taking on the lease when they would be far better investing any money they have where they would possibly get a return.”
“That certainly wouldn’t happen with Royal Lodge,” they added. “So one may wonder what the point of Andrew staying there is other than vanity.”
Beatrice and Eugenie, who now have homes—and families—of their own, once lived at the Royal Lodge. These days, as their mother revealed on a 2023 podcast, they have family get-togethers at the property.
