It was recently confirmed that the King will allow the Duke of York to remain at his Royal Lodge home on the Windsor Estate, rather than push for him to relocate to a smaller residence.
Despite Andrew, 63, being granted a “stay of execution”, it is understood he will be footing all the bills and paying for essential repairs. It also emerged that the Duke – who's annual £250,000 handout was stopped – is being helped by his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.
The pair – who separated in 1992 and finalised their divorce in 1996 – remain incredibly close and still live together when in Windsor.
The news of Andrew's stay at the home came after ongoing reports that King Charles had hoped to downsize the number of properties that make up the royal portfolio. It was reportedly suggested that Prince Andrew could move into the slightly smaller Frogmore Cottage – the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan.
With the news that Sarah will "bankroll" Andrew so he can keep up the 30-room home, leading royal expert Jennie Bond spoke to OK! about the move and why we should "admire Fergie's eternal optimism".
The former BBC royal correspondent explained: "It seems to be rather like watching a game of snooker. And, right now, Andrew seems to be well and truly snookered. He can stay, if he can afford it.
"Clearly, Royal Lodge needs a lot of work, and even just the upkeep is expensive. As far as we know, Andrew doesn’t have a great deal of money – although quite what he has done with the proceeds from the sale of his house at Sunninghill, plus whatever profit there might have been from the sale of the chalet in Verbier, is a mystery.
"Andrew is a very proud and stubborn man and, although it seems entirely logical that he should move to a smaller property now that his daughters both have their own homes, and his ex-wife has bought a place in London, he seems determined to stay put. Now, it seems, he has been told by his big brother that he can stay, but he has to foot the bills."
On the Duchess agreeing to help her former husband, Jennie added: "You really do have to admire Fergie for her eternal optimism and absolute loyalty. She is standing right by her (ex) man.
"They really do seem to be the best friends and the happiest divorced couple imaginable. So she is going to pull out all the stops to earn enough to pay for the upkeep of the house and keep her man in the style to which he has become so very accustomed.
"It would have been far more dignified if Andrew had simply said he understood the Lodge might be needed for others, perhaps he should have been reimbursed for some of the maintenance he has paid for and he could have graciously moved to the newly refurbished and very lovely Frogmore cottage.
"But he is proud and stubborn and it seems he has dug his heels in. Now we have to wait and see if he and Fergie can pay the bills."
Royal Lodge is a Grade II listed home on the Windsor Estate in Berkshire and is just a five mile drive from the King's home of Windsor Castle. It was built in the mid-seventeenth century and did not have a permanent royal resident until the 1930s when the Duke and Duchess of York were granted it by King George V.
The Queen Mother continued to use the lodge after King George VI's death in 1952 and died there on March 30, 2002 with the Queen by her side. Following the Queen Mother's death, the property was leased to Prince Andrew in 2003 and he was required to pay for any and all renovations himself.
It is thought that the costs of the improvements rose above £7.5 million. Along with the main house, the lease included the Gardener's Cottage, the Chapel Lodge, six Lodge Cottages, police security accommodation and 40 hectares of land.
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