King Charles has fired the security team stationed at his long-time luxury home after disgraced royal Prince Andrew refused to “downsize” from the estate.
Prince Charles informed the couple in October that he would not be renewing his lease at the 31-room Royal Lodge property, according to The Sun.
“They are all working the final few weeks of their contracts, which run until the end of October, and their replacements are not thought to be in line,” a palace source told the outlet.
“Everyone is speculating that this means the Duke will have to leave Royal Lodge. What other reason would there be to deprive him of his security?”
The disgraced Duke of York, 64, has been living in the $38 million Royal Lodge on the grounds of Windsor Castle since 2004, having signed a 75-year lease the previous year.
Prince Andrew has been facing threats of removal from the royal family since revelations in 2019 about his close friendship with the late pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
He also neglected to pay maintenance on the property, which costs $503,000 a year, Us Weekly reported in May.
The 75-year-old monarch has continued to pay for private security for Prince Andrew’s home since his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, stripped him of his royal duties and cancelled the Metropolitan Police’s $3.8 million security arrangement.
The king has been paying his brother $5.1 million a year to support himself.
“It’s no secret that the king wants him to step down,” a source told The Sun.
Queen Elizabeth summoned her third child to Windsor Castle in January 2022, at the height of Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse scandal in the United States.
The security cuts come after reports that Prince Andrew has rejected an offer to move out of Royal Lodge and into the smaller Frogmore Cottage – the residence his nephew, Prince Harry, is forced to move out of in June 2023.
Prince Andrew visited Scotland on Friday, joining his brother and other members of the royal family at Balmoral Castle.
According to Express.co.uk, the Scottish mansion will be shared by his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and their grandchildren.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle were not included on the official guest list.
Andrew has been described as a “recluse” and has barely left Royal Lodge since December last year.
“Andrew hasn’t left Royal Lodge since Christmas so he’s really looking forward to spending time with the whole family at Balmoral,” a source told the outlet.
“The King hopes it will be a joyous family event where families can come together for over a week, discuss future plans and relax.”