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[Global Times Comprehensive Report] According to the British "Daily Mail" report on the 17th, British King Charles III dismissed his brother Prince Andrew's private security team. The media speculated that this was the king's attempt to put pressure on his own brother to let the disgraced prince move out of the royal residence in Windsor as soon as possible.

Prince Andrew's profile picture Source: Visual China

As the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the younger brother of the current King Charles III, Prince Andrew, 64, has lived in the "Royal Cottage" in Windsor for a long time. This luxurious palace has 30 rooms and is worth up to 30 million pounds (about 278 million yuan). Prince Andrew has lived here with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2003. However, King Charles hopes that Andrew will move out of the mansion, especially after his involvement in the Epstein scandal was exposed. Not only has he been criticized by all walks of life and paid a lot of settlement fees, but the reputation of the entire British royal family has also been damaged, and his bodyguard was also dismissed in 2022. In recent years, the private security costs of the "Royal Cottage" have been paid by Charles III, up to 3 million pounds a year, which has made the relationship between the two brothers even more unfriendly.

According to the latest media reports, Charles III recently informed the security team of the official residence that they would no longer need the services of more than a dozen people after this autumn. A source inside the British court revealed to The Sun that Charles III's decision has triggered widespread speculation. It is generally believed that Prince Andrew has to move out of the "Royal Lodge" as soon as possible. This is no longer a secret. "In addition to depriving security, is there any other way to drive him out of the royal residence?" However, Prince Andrew himself does not want to leave the mansion. After all, he has signed a 75-year lease since 2003, paying a weekly rent of 250 pounds. Although the rent does not seem expensive, the property still requires high maintenance costs. According to the lease, Prince Andrew is obliged to "repair, renew, maintain, clean and maintain repairs, and rebuild when necessary" the royal property, including repainting the exterior every 5 years since 2008 and redecorating the interior every 7 years since 2010. He has spent more than 7 million pounds on this.

Although this property in Windsor Great Park is called "Royal Cottage", its total area is 98 acres. Its property scope is not only buildings, but also includes swimming pools, tennis courts and the Royal All Saints Chapel. In 2020, Prince Andrew's daughter Princess Beatrice held her wedding in this chapel, and the late Queen and Queen Elizabeth II also came here to attend. For nearly 60 years, this royal residence with luxurious buildings and beautiful scenery has witnessed the "harmonious family life" of the British royal family. However, with the death of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, "Royal Cottage" has encountered a crisis like several other royal properties. Last year, the media broke the news that Andrew could not afford the annual maintenance cost of up to 400,000 pounds for this official residence, and if he breached the contract, he would have to move out. Although the financial pressure is not small, and there is a risk of being "cut off from the bottom" by his brother Charles III, Prince Andrew still refuses to move to another British royal residence "Frogmore Cottage", which was the residence of Prince Harry and Meghan when they were still in the UK. If Prince Andrew leaves the Royal Lodge, Charles III will not only save a lot of security costs, but also make a profit from the property. It is reported that the British king intends to "rent out the Royal Lodge in Windsor for £1 million a year." The Daily Mail sent a letter to the British royal family to inquire about this, but has not received an official response. (Luc)