Prince Andrew eviction deadline set if he can’t find £2million for Royal Lodge repairs

Prince Andrew has been given until the end of the year to prove that he has the financial resources to refurbish Royal Lodge or he will be evicted, Express.co.uk has learned.

According to a well-placed source, the Duke of York, 64, has fallen foul of the Crown Estate’s lease rules which outline that repairs must be made to the property in regular intervals otherwise they can pull the plug.

The source adds that King Charles’s recent decision to pull all private funding for the property, including a 10-man security team that leaves this month, and to his brother personally, has sent the Duke “into a spin”.

“Andrew has been asked to prove that he has the financial resources in place to conduct the necessary repairs to Royal Lodge,” said the source. “If he is unable to do that by the end of the year, formal discussions will be held with the Crown Estate about how best to move forward.

“It’s the closest Andrew has come to being evicted since he was asked to step down as a working royal two years ago.”

Prince Andrew has a lease with the Crown Estate to remain in the £30 million home until 2078.

Under the terms of the lease, the Duke is under strict instructions about what he can and cannot do to the 30-room house.

The agreement “requires that the character of the property be maintained as a Royal Park and forest”.

The contract also requires the Prince to be responsible for the refurbishment costs in order to restore and upkeep the historic building.

Royal Lodge is currently in a sad state of neglect – with paint peeling from the walls and moss growing on the exterior. Escalating repair costs are said to have already exceeded £2 million for necessary renovations needed on the property.