As the controversy over Prince Andrew’s future at the Royal Lodge deepens, reports suggest Prince William allegedly issued an ultimatum to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in an attempt to persuade their father to move out.
Prince Andrew has lived at the Windsor mansion for 22 years without paying rent, but Buckingham Palace has reportedly been “cranking up the pressure” for him to vacate the property. Despite this, the Duke of York cannot be forcibly removed due to what has been described as a “cast-iron lease,” and remains resistant to leaving.
New details about the growing family tension were revealed by journalist Emily Maitlis during an appearance on The News Agents podcast.
“There was a question over whether there had been, earlier in the day, a meeting between Prince William and the princesses, Beatrice and Eugenie,” Maitlis said. “The message, we understand, was: ‘You’ve got to get your dad to move out of Royal Lodge, otherwise we’ll start re-examining the state of your own titles.’”
Maitlis suggested that while William does not hold the authority to strip his cousins of their titles, the threat may have been raised as leverage to increase pressure on Prince Andrew. However, palace insiders have since indicated that no such meeting between the Prince of Wales and his cousins is understood to have taken place.
Maitlis, who famously interviewed Prince Andrew in 2019 about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, remains closely associated with the scandal that effectively ended his public life. During that BBC Newsnight interview, Andrew denied having sex with Virginia Giuffre, then 17, claiming instead that he was at Pizza Express in Woking on the night in question.
Recent scrutiny over his continued residence at Royal Lodge has been reignited by the posthumous release of Giuffre’s memoir, in which she wrote that Andrew behaved as though he was “entitled” to have sex with her.
In response, Andrew relinquished his remaining honorary titles ahead of the memoir’s publication and reiterated his position: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Despite this, his living situation remains unchanged. Earlier this week, reports suggested that Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who also resides at Royal Lodge, might consider moving—but only under two conditions. One option reportedly on the table is Frogmore Cottage, the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, while Ferguson is said to have shown interest in Adelaide Cottage, currently occupied by Prince William and Princess Kate, who are due to relocate next month.
Meanwhile, co-author Amy Wallace told the Associated Press that Giuffre wanted “wealthy, powerful men to be held to account,” suggesting that “Prince Andrew’s past is catching up with him.”
“What we’re watching,” Wallace said, “is Prince Andrew’s life being eroded for his past behaviour. While he’s not being tried in a court of law, his actions are catching up with him.”
According to The Sun, Abu Dhabi’s royal family has offered Andrew the use of a grand mansion in the United Arab Emirates should his position in the UK become untenable. Sources claim that both Andrew and Ferguson would be “afforded every luxury” if they accept the offer, described as a gesture of gratitude for his “kindness” during his time as Britain’s trade envoy.
