31 January 2025 , 18:16
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Prince Andrew is facing a £1million bill for urgent repairs after an inspection on his crumbling mansion.
The disgraced Duke of York has been told his 30-room Royal Lodge home is in "desperate" need of repair and is in grave danger of "irrevocable decay". Royal sources have revealed how Andrew, 64, had entered talks with representatives of the Crown Estate, although discussions are now described as being "deadlocked".
Our exclusive pictures show the residence in a dire state, with large cracks in the masonry, peeling plaster and discoloured paint around the main house and staff quarters. Andrew is understood to have given assurances he would be able to meet the financial obligations needed for essential repairs.
Prince Andrew’s decaying Royal Lodge mansion is owned by the Crown Estate ( Image: N.C)
As recently as 2019, the house had been painted and showed no signs of dilapidation. But in just over five years, the 19th century Grade II listed property, estimated to be worth around £30million, has fallen into immense disrepair, with increasing levels of damp and mould both inside and outside the buildings.
The flat roof to the main structure is in danger of complete collapse having been neglected for 20 years, leading to huge damp problems to both the exterior and inside the property. Reputable building firms in the area estimate the works will cost £600,000 to address the damp, fill huge cracks to the exterior and re-render the outside.
Scaffolding alone to the huge mansion would be needed for a year, estimated by local firm BCD Scaffolding to cost £200,000. Andrew, 64, could also be hit with further costs upwards of at least £250,000 to the inside of the property which is said by sources to be "full of damp".
Royal Lodge before it fell into disrepair ( Image: Roland Hoskins/ANL/REX/Shutterstock)
The Duke spent £7.5million in renovations 20 years ago when he moved in and agreed to meet all future costs of the upkeep. But with his finances shrouded in mystery, huge questions remain over his ability to meet the financial obligations.
A royal source said: "The house is in a dire state and is in desperate need of repair. The Duke has been told in no uncertain terms that extensive and urgent repairs are needed to ensure the long term viability of the property before it falls into irrevocable decay."
Designed by John Nash, one of the foremost British architects of the Georgian and Regency eras, with later additions by architect Jeffry Wyatt and tucked away from public view inside the royal park, the lodge has been a royal residence since 1662.
Inspections were carried out on the property over the last two summers, leading to experts suggesting urgent works were needed on the roof, damp proofing and plaster repair around the entire mansion.
Andrew agreed to spend £200,000 on a new roof, granting him a stay of execution from the King who pleaded with his brother to move out or pay for the repairs of up to £2million, including agreed upkeep on adjoining properties and the grounds.
But the Duke is locked in a stalemate as his finances took a hit after he was forced to step back from public duties in 2019 following his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview which exposed his association with the late convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew’s 75 year lease on the property began in August 2003, in the year following the death of its previous occupant, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Duke approached the Crown Estate about acquiring the lease, which was then considered to be financially preferable to using it as a "grace and favour" residence for the Royal Family.
Properties near Royal Lodge show similar signs or disrepair ( Image: N.C)
After the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles told his brother he would no longer supplement his lifestyle and suggested he downsize his lavish home, being offered Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’s more modest four bedroom Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate.
But the pampered prince rejected the offer and refused to leave Royal Lodge, which he still shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, despite divorcing 27 years ago.
The Mirror previously revealed how Andrew friends he has a "cast iron lease", due to end in 2078, which he intends to fulfill despite the intense mystery surrounding his finances. Sources close to the King suggest the monarch has "grown incredibly weary" with his brother’s petulant behaviour after being offered the opportunity to downsize.
Another building near Royal Lodge show similar states of disrepair ( Image: N.C)
Our source continued: "Unfortunately relations are considered to be strained and what was once a promising channel of communication is now deadlocked. Despite this, the Crown Estate is committed to working with the Duke to find the best possible solution so this beautiful residence is not neglected even further."
Since then his attempts at plotting a way back into the royal fold have been extinguished by the King and Prince William, who are said to be aligned that the Duke should have no role in public life.
His personal finances have also been left in a state after the King decided to stop paying for Andrew’s security or provide him a personal allowance. Together, these costs are understood to amount to several million pounds a year.
In 2022, he paid a £12million settlement to sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre to halt a US civil trial after she said he sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17, which he vehemently denies.
The prince sold a luxury Swiss chalet for £17million, co-owned with Fergie, but was understood to have considerable debts on the property. Buckingham Palace said they do not comment on the Duke’s affairs.