King Charles III has refused to grant Prince Andrew a £500,000 payout for vacating Royal Lodge, according to palace sources. The disgraced royal, now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, had been expected to receive the sum as reimbursement for his upfront lease payment made in 2003.
Andrew, 65, surrendered his lease on the 30-room Windsor mansion and is due to move to a private property on the Sandringham estate. However, the move may take months, avoiding an awkward encounter during the royal family's traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham.
The former Duke of York paid over £8 million upfront to rent and renovate Royal Lodge in 2003, with a 'cast-iron' lease not due to expire until 2078. Under the terms, he could claim back some of the money if he left within the first 25 years. However, King Charles has blocked this payout.
Buckingham Palace confirmed Andrew has been stripped of his Prince title and will be banished from royal life. A palace statement said: 'His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.'
The move follows revelations that Andrew told convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein 'we are in this together'. Virginia Giuffre's family is now calling for him to face justice in the US. Jonathan Dimbleby said King Charles was 'consistently embarrassed' by his brother's behaviour.
