If you think Prince Harry and Prince William are the only two royal brothers feuding, think again. The elder brother duo—King Charles and Prince Andrew—have also found themselves at odds in recent years thanks to Andrew’s connection with convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.
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While the brothers didn’t always have a strained relationship, things went downhill after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. This year alone, there have been reports of King Charles cutting his security fund and trying to evict him from the Royal Lodge. However, despite reports, Andrew was spotted supporting his brother on his coronation and was invited to the Royal Christmas in 2023.
Amidst this, in the latest swirl of royal intrigue, new claims have emerged suggesting that King Charles might have stepped in to resolve his brother Prince Andrew’s financial woes.
Has King Charles privately paid for Prince Andrew’s Royal Lodge bills?
The Daily Mail recently published a report that said the King may have allegedly cleared Andrew’s mounting bills. Not only this, the publication reports, based on undisclosed sources, that the monarch assured Andrew of his continued stay at Royal Lodge—a sprawling 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park.
Their sources allude that the King could be the ‘mysterious benefactor’ who has provided the disgraced Duke with funds needed to stay at the property. According to the report, ‘multiple sources’ have claimed that the King’s eviction threats were part of a ‘double bluff.’
They have said that the King is ‘far from cutting off Andrew’ and has instead ‘personally cleared his errant brother's bills for his upkeep and promised his Royal Lodge woes are taken care of.’
They cite an unnamed source close to Andrew, who said:
He [Andrew] just doesn't have that many friends anymore. He barely goes out, he's not that welcome anywhere. So it's got to be family, and the obvious person is the King. I mean, why would anybody who's not family want to give him money when they're not going to get anything out of it except a lot of flack?
Another source added:
Charles has paid for it all…the king has cleared it. It’s all done.
The sources are said to have insisted that the King used his ‘private funds.’ The funding, if true, would reportedly come from the Duchy of Lancaster, a private estate providing the monarch with substantial personal income.
Sources cited by the Daily Mail claim that the King’s intervention might be driven by two reasons. One, a sense of familial loyalty or two, a personal attachment to the Royal Lodge as it holds historical significance as the former home of the Queen Mother. Many also speculate that the King is acting pragmatically to prevent the property from falling into disrepair.
Palace insiders have rubbished the claims
Soon after the Mail’s report was published, the Daily Beast reported that Palace insiders have strongly dismissed these assertions. Buckingham Palace, adhering to its usual policy of refraining from commenting on Andrew-related controversies, declined to issue an official statement. However, unnamed Palace sources have described the Daily Mail's report as speculative and rooted in little more than ‘dinner party speculation’ and ‘gossip.’
These insiders emphasized that King Charles has been consistent in distancing himself financially from Andrew.
What is the Royal Lodge feud? Here’s everything you need to know
The relationship between King Charles and Prince Andrew has been fraught with challenges, particularly following Andrew’s fall from grace due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and subsequent allegations of sexual misconduct. Stripped of his royal duties and military titles, Andrew has faced increasing isolation within the Royal Family.
To understand the Charles v/s Andrew feud regarding the Royal Lodge, let’s dive into the background of the Royal residence. Nestled in Windsor Great Park, the Royal Lodge has a storied history. It housed the Queen Mother from 1952 until she died in 2002. Over the years, it has served as a backdrop for countless royal events and family gatherings
It has also served as Prince Andrew’s primary residence since 2004. Andrew acquired a 75-year lease on the property in 2003 for a one-time payment of £1 million. As part of the lease agreement, Andrew pays a below-market rent but shoulders full responsibility for the estate’s upkeep.
So when did the trouble start? It started in 2019 when he had to withdraw from his royal duties. By 2022, he was stripped of his military titles and patronages. The same year he made an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre which could have cost him up to £12 million, reports Mail Online. The settlement is believed to have been partly funded by the late Queen Elizabeth II. In 2024, he lost his royal allowance as ordered by his brother, King Charles. Since then, Andrew’s ability to sustain his lifestyle has been under scrutiny.
The brotherly tension escalated when Charles reportedly urged his brother to move out of Royal Lodge and into the more modest Frogmore Cottage. The proposal was met with resistance from Andrew as he argued that he had a ‘cast iron lease’ and had invested heavily in the property.
In May 2024, images emerged showing the dilapidated state of Royal Lodge. This further fuelled speculation about Andrew’s ability to fulfil his maintenance obligations.
In November 2024, the BBC reported that King Charles cut off Prince Andrew as he allegedly decided to stop paying for the security at his house in addition to cutting off his allowance. The claims have been made by the royal author Robert Hardman in his new book.
Despite these challenges, the latest gossip of Prince Andrew's mysterious benefactor has added a whole new twist to the feud between the two brothers. While speculation continues to grow, it remains unlikely that the real truth will ever be revealed to the public.
Read more:
King Charles allegedly wants to bring Prince Andrew back into the royal fold, insider claims
Sources used:
Daily Mail: The VERY surprising whispers about who is now paying Prince Andrew's Royal Lodge bills after he was 'cut off' by the King...
Daily Beast: Palace Insiders Hit Back at Claims That King Charles Is Secretly Funding Prince Andrew
Daily Mail:Full timeline of King Charles' family feud with Prince Andrew over Royal Lodge as monarch 'threatens to sever all ties' if duke refuses to leave
BBC: Prince Andrew's funding cut off by King, says book
