Prince Andrew Faces Eviction from Royal Lodge as King Charles and Parliament Apply Pressure

King Charles III may compel his younger brother to vacate his long-established residence within Windsor Castle's grounds.

United Kingdom:

Prince Andrew of Britain continues to face intense scrutiny regarding his controversial living arrangements and titles, with reports indicating ongoing discussions with King Charles III about leaving his 30-room royal residence.

Speculation has intensified recently suggesting that Charles might force his younger brother to abandon his longtime home on Windsor Castle's extensive grounds, following renewed outrage over accusations from one of Jeffrey Epstein's primary accusers.

A national news agency broadcast live footage over the weekend showing the entrance to the Windsor estate, located west of London, anticipating the latest humiliating consequences stemming from allegations against the 65-year-old prince.

Simultaneously, several lawmakers are advocating for the parliamentary motion necessary to officially remove Andrew's Duke of York title, despite the prince's recent announcement that he will no longer use it.

Even holding a House of Commons debate concerning a royal's conduct would be unprecedented in modern history.

The timing of such a debate remains uncertain, and any resulting motion would likely be non-binding. However, it would place additional pressure on both the king and government to take action.

These developments follow the recent publication of Virginia Giuffre's memoir, in which the victim of US sex offender Epstein restated in explicit detail allegations that she had sexual encounters with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was only 17 years old.

The prince, who denies all wrongdoing, agreed in 2022 to pay millions of dollars to Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen, to settle her civil sexual assault case against him.

Giuffre took her own life in April at age 41, while Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in prison awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

Adding to the controversy following the bestselling book's release, The Times revealed Tuesday that the prince had not paid rent for twenty years on his Royal Lodge residence, where he lives with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

This arrangement originates from an apparently favorable 2003 agreement for the mansion owned by the Crown Estate, the royal family's independently managed land and property holdings.

British newspapers reported over the weekend that this has prompted ongoing discussions between the king and prince regarding Andrew vacating Royal Lodge.

The Sunday Times reported he faces "a pincer movement from parliament and Buckingham Palace to strip him of his dukedom and banish him" from Windsor.

According to the newspaper, he might agree to move out if offered financial compensation and an appropriate alternative residence.

The Daily Mail reported that heir-to-the-throne Prince William and his family plan to move into a new residence near Royal Lodge, and William wants his uncle to depart beforehand.

In Westminster, the centrist Liberal Democrat party, which has 72 MPs, is among those demanding the parliamentary debate.

"We need to explore all options... to ensure parliament can scrutinise this properly, from Prince Andrew's residence at Royal Lodge to his dukedom," a party source told AFP.

"It's right that we're led by the king on this, and if parliament does have to act, we hope it can be hand-in-hand with the Palace."