As the row over Prince Andrew’s residence at the Royal Lodge continues, Prince William reportedly gave an ultimatum to Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice to force their father out.
Prince Andrew has lived in the mansion 22 years rent-free, but Buckingham Palace has been ‘cranking up the pressure’ to get him to leave. He cannot be kicked out due to a ‘cast iron lease’ and is reportedly ‘resistant’ to go.
But journalist Emily Maitlis recently provided new insight into the royal family’s ongoing dispute while speaking on the News Agents podcast.
She said: ‘There was a question over whether there had been, earlier in the day, a meeting between Prince William and the princesses, Beatrice and Eugenie, saying, “you guys have to got your dad to move out of Royal Lodge otherwise we will start re-examining the state of your own titles”.
‘They are at the moment allowed to be princesses, but there was a bit of pressure, we understand, being put on the princesses to say this is going to happen.’
Though Prince William does not have the power to strip his cousins of their titles, according to the palace, Maitlis appears to suggest that he would float the idea in a meeting to increase pressure on Prince Andrew.
No meeting between Prince William and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice is understood to have taken place.
Maitlis, the former Newsnight presenter, famously interviewed the prince in November 2019 about his past relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
At the time he said that he cut off contact with the disgraced financier in in December 2010, but recently revealed emails suggest the two were still in touch two months later.
He also strongly denied the allegation that he had sex with Virginia Giuffre, then 17, and said he was instead at Pizza Express in Woking on the day of the supposed encounter.
Recent pressure on Prince Andrew to move out of Royal Lodge follows the posthumous publication of Virginia Giuffre’s memoirs, which claims that he acted as though he were ‘entitled’ to have sex with her.
He gave up his remaining titles head of the publication and said he stands by his choice five years ago ‘to stand back from public life’. He added: ‘As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.’
But his position at Royal Lodge has not yet changed. Earlier this week, it was revealed that the former Duke of York and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson could indeed move out – but on two conditions.
It was reported that Andrew wants the former home of his nephew Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle – the historic Frogmore Cottage, a Grade II listed property in Windsor.
That’s not all – Fergie has reportedly been eyeing up Adelaide Cottage, where Prince William and Kate currently live, as they move next month.
The co-author of Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Amy Wallace, said Ms Giuffre wanted ‘wealthy, powerful men to be held to account’.
She added that it appears Prince Andrew’s past is ‘catching up with him’ already in reference to pressure within the Royal Family to further separate themselves from him.
In an interview
‘While he’s not being tried in a court of law, his behaviour’s catching up with him.’
Reports on Saturday claim Abu Dhabi’s royal family has offered the prince the use of a grand mansion in the United Arab Emirates, should his position in the UK become untenable.
Sources told The Sun that Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who also lives at Royal Lodge, would be ‘afforded every luxury’ if they decide to accept the offer.
The offer is said to be a gesture of gratitude for the prince’s ‘kindness’ to them while he was deployed as the UK’s overseas business envoy.
with the Associated Press, she said: ‘What we’re watching is Prince Andrew’s life being eroded for his past behaviour.
