Queen Elizabeth ‘remained incredibly close’ to Prince Andrew ‘right up until her death,’ royal author claims
Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair's royal correspondent and author of The New Royals, spoke to Fox News Digital about the late monarch's close relationship with the Duke of York during the months leading up to her death.
Prince Andrew’s future at Royal Lodge is looking grim.
The Sun on Sunday reported that his older brother, King Charles III, did not renew the contract for the Duke of York's private security team. It expires in the fall.
According to multiple reports, no replacement security detail has been lined up.
The Sun reported that the king, who is battling cancer, has been paying for Andrew’s security at Royal Lodge after the prince lost his police protection in 2022. The security team is said to cost Charles, 75, nearly $4 million annually.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II HAD ‘BLIND SPOT’ FOR PRINCE ANDREW AS JEFFREY EPSTEIN FRIENDSHIP IMPLODED: EXPERT
The Sun on Sunday reported that King Charles III did not renew the contract for Andrew's private security team when it expires in the fall. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told Fox News Digital they won't comment on "security matters."
Royal experts previously told Fox News Digital that the king wants Andrew to leave his palatial 31-room home where he resides with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. The property was home to their grandmother, the Queen Mother, until she died in 2002.
According to The UK Times, Andrew paid over $1 million to take over the home in 2003. He has reportedly spent over $9 million on repairs and renovations. He currently pays an annual rent of about $337,000. The property is worth a reported $37 million and requires an estimated $503,000 annually for upkeep.
Cattle on the grounds of Royal Lodge, circa 1942. (Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The Times reported that when Andrew dies, the lease can only be passed to members of his immediate family, which includes his two daughters, Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 34.
Upon Prince Andrew's death, his lease to Royal Lodge can be passed on to his two daughters, Princess Eugenie (left) and Princess Beatrice (right). (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Andrew, 64, is said to be digging his heels, refusing to leave Royal Lodge for the smaller Frogmore Cottage.
The former U.K. home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remains empty more than a year after the couple was asked to vacate. It was previously reported that the disgraced duke was expected to downsize following his ties to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Frogmore Cottage was the UK home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It remains empty. (Getty Images)
The Times noted that if Andrew were to move into Frogmore Cottage, security would be provided, as it falls within the secured grounds surrounding Windsor Castle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020. They reside in California. (Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
But a decision might be made soon. The king was welcomed with a small ceremony on Aug. 19 in Scotland. He will be staying at Balmoral Castle for his annual summer retreat. The Times reported that Andrew is expected to join him.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, previously claimed to Fox News Digital that palace sources are frustrated with Andrew’s stubbornness.
Prince Andrew lives in Royal Lodge with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. They divorced in 1996. (HOLLIE ADAMS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
"Prince Andrew does not need such a large home," Schofield told Fox News Digital. "Prince Andrew’s home requires additional security expenses. The maintenance on Royal Lodge is simply more than Prince Andrew can afford."
"The king wants to scale down and simplify things for his brother by moving him into Frogmore Cottage," she shared. "Millions of dollars have been spent on updating and modernizing the property, and there is more than enough room."
"Prince Andrew is not a team player," Schofield claimed. "He is entitled and wants what he believes was promised to him by the late Queen Elizabeth. His mother was his most powerful ally, and she is now gone."
"Prince Andrew does not need such a large home. Prince Andrew’s home requires additional security expenses. The maintenance on Royal Lodge is simply more than Prince Andrew can afford."
Queen Elizabeth II is seen here arriving in Westminster Abbey accompanied by Prince Andrew, Duke of York for the Service Of Thanksgiving For The Duke Of Edinburgh on March 29, 2022, in London, England. The monarch died in September of that year. (Richard Pohle - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"He has two very supportive daughters that do plead his case to their uncle… but he lost any ability to negotiate when he lost his mother," Schofield continued. "She was a significant support system to the disappointing duke.
"Sources within the palace believe it's unfortunate that Andrew has placed this extra burden on the king by refusing to follow directions. The king has had a horrible year health-wise and has gone out of his way to seek peace and healing. Andrew continues to be a thorn in his side."
WATCH: QUEEN ELIZABETH ‘REMAINED INCREDIBLY CLOSE’ TO PRINCE ANDREW ‘RIGHT UP UNTIL HER DEATH,’ ROYAL AUTHOR CLAIMS
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Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 amid his controversial connection to Epstein. He was also stripped of his honorary military titles. Before she died in 2022, the queen also removed his honorary leadership of various charities, known as royal patronages, and barred him from using the title "his royal highness" in official settings.
Prince Andrew lost his HRH title following his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)
The council in the northern city of York voted unanimously to withdraw the prince’s "freedom of the city." The honor was awarded to Andrew in 1987 after the queen made him the Duke of York. He is the first person to be stripped of the status, an honor that dates back to medieval times. Local leaders have since argued that Andrew should also lose the title of Duke of York. A spokesperson for Andrew declined to comment at the time.
In a lawsuit filed in 2020, Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually exploiting her on three occasions in 2001 when she was 17. Andrew has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
In 2022, a U.S. judge dismissed the sex abuse lawsuit against Andrew, who settled with Giuffre. The prince made a substantial donation to his accuser’s charity and declared he never meant to malign her character.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre with a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew, among others. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Epstein was found dead behind bars in 2019 at age 66. The U.S. attorney in Manhattan prosecuted Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, for helping recruit his underage victims. She was convicted in 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison term.
Andrew was named in previously secret court documents related to Epstein that were unsealed in the new year. It was part of a 2015 lawsuit filed against Maxwell by Giuffre.
U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services sex offender registry on March 28, 2017, and obtained by Reuters on July 10, 2019. (New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS)
The records — including transcripts of interviews with some of Epstein’s victims and old police reports — contained reminders that the millionaire had surrounded himself with famous and powerful figures, including a few who have also been accused of misconduct.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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