Sarah Ferguson avoids Andrew's 'Royal Lodge' drama as William holds grudge

Sarah Ferguson has addressed the speculation about Prince Andrew being asked to leave the Royal Lodge in Windsor. 

Despite their divorce in 1996, Sarah and Prince Andrew remain on amicable terms and continue to live together.

In an interview with Samara García Mendez from ¡HOLA! TV, Sarah responded to the ongoing rumours. Reports have suggested that King Charles has instructed Andrew to vacate the Royal Lodge, a 98-acre estate where he has lived for 20 years.

According to The Telegraph, Prince Andrew has no intention of leaving the Royal Lodge, which he is determined to keep in accordance with the lease he signed in 2003, which still has 55 years remaining.

Speculation has also suggested that if the Duke were to move, he might relocate to Frogmore Cottage, the former residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Asked by the reports and whether Prince Andrew will be moving out Sarah didn’t confirm or deny anything initially and replied: “Don’t always believe what you read.” However, after being pushed on the matter further, she claimed she wasn’t privy to the conversations about whether Prince Andrew and Royal Lodge and claimed ignorance, she added that she was taking things one day at a time. 

She told the interviewer: “I don’t know. I take every day as it comes.”

In early 2023, King Charles reduced his brother's annual allowance from £249,000, which made it financially unfeasible for Prince Andrew to maintain the 30-room Royal Lodge. 

This decision followed a controversial BBC interview in 2019 that highlighted Andrew's connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After stepping down from his royal duties, Andrew moved into the Grade-II listed Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park following the death of the Queen Mother in 2002.

Although he has strongly denied all allegations, Prince Andrew reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre in February 2022. Giuffre had sued him, claiming Epstein trafficked her to have sex with the royal when she was 17, a minor under US law. 

Prior to the US lawsuit, the late Queen had removed Andrew's honorary military roles, and he ceased using the style 'His Royal Highness' in official capacities.

New rumours have suggested that Prince William is still looking to evict Prince Andrew from the Royal Lodge. 

Royal reporter Richard Kay told Mail Online : “William has long held a grudge against Andrew for being unwelcoming when he first introduced the then Kate Middleton to the royal family and feels that his father has been too soft on him."