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According to a report by the Global Times citing the British Daily Mail on August 17, King Charles III of the United Kingdom dismissed the private security team of his younger brother Prince Andrew. The media speculated that this was the king's attempt to put pressure on his own brother to get the disgraced prince to move out of the royal residence in Windsor as soon as possible.

Prince Andrew (left) and Charles (data map, source: China News Network)

As the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom 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.

Although this property in Windsor Great Park is called "Royal Lodge", it is actually a luxurious palace with 30 rooms and a value of up to 30 million pounds (about 278 million yuan). It is understood that the total area of ​​"Royal Lodge" is 98 acres, and 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 architecture and beautiful scenery has witnessed the "harmonious family life" of the British royal family. However, with the passing of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, the "Royal Lodge" has encountered a crisis like several other royal properties.

In fact, Prince Andrew has lived here with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2003. However, Charles wants Andrew to move out of the mansion, especially after his involvement in the Epstein scandal was exposed. Not only did he suffer accusations from all walks of life and paid a hefty settlement fee, but the reputation of the entire British royal family was also damaged, and his bodyguard was also dismissed in 2022. In recent years, the private security costs of the "Royal Lodge" have been paid by Charles, up to 3 million pounds (about 27.799 million yuan) a year, which has made the relationship between the brothers even more unfriendly.

According to reports, Charles recently informed the security team of the official residence that they would no longer need the services of more than a dozen of them after this autumn. The report mentioned that a source inside the British court revealed to The Sun that Charles' decision has caused widespread speculation. It is generally believed that Prince Andrew has to move out of the "Royal Lodge" as soon as possible. This is actually no longer a secret. "In addition to depriving him of 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 signed a 75-year lease in 2003 and pays 250 pounds (about 2,316 yuan) in rent per week. Although the rent does not seem expensive, the property still requires high maintenance costs. According to the lease, Prince Andrew is obliged to "repair, update, maintain, clean and maintain repairs, and rebuild when necessary" the royal property, including repainting the exterior every 5 years since 2008 and renovating the interior every 7 years since 2010. He has spent more than 7 million pounds on this. It is worth mentioning that last year, the media broke the news that Andrew could not afford the annual maintenance costs of 400,000 pounds (about 3.706 million yuan) for the official residence, and if he breached the contract, he would have to move out.

Despite the considerable financial pressure and the risk of being "cut off from the bottom" by his brother Charles, Prince Andrew still refuses to move to another British royal residence, Frogmore Cottage. Located near Windsor Castle, the cottage is a royal residence and has been a Grade II listed building since 1975. In 2018, Harry and Meghan held their wedding reception at Frogmore Manor. After the wedding, Queen Elizabeth II offered Frogmore Cottage to them to live in. This was the birthplace of their first child and their only residence in the UK at the time.

It is understood that if Prince Andrew leaves the "Royal Lodge", Charles 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." According to reports, the Daily Mail sent a letter to the British royal family to inquire about this, but has not received an official response yet.

Jimu News integrates Global Times, Huanqiu.com, Shangguan News, China Newsweek, etc.

(Source: Jimu News)