Prince Andrew’s $38 million mansion is falling apart as King Charles cuts his financial life

Prince Andrew is facing mounting pressure as his grand Windsor estate, Royal Lodge, falls deeper into disrepair – a visible sign of the strain caused by King Charles’ decision to cut his beleaguered younger brother’s finances .

Visible cracks, crumbling paint and widespread black mold now mar the historic walls of the Duke of York’s 30-room mansion. The Royal Lodge, on 98 acres in Windsor Great Park, has been in royal hands for almost a century.

Its walls witnessed Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood as a young princess – and after the death of her father King George VI, the Queen Mother continued to live there until 2002.

Prince Andrew has called it home since 2004, but as repair costs skyrocket, his future there is increasingly uncertain.

King Charles recently cut Andrew’s annual personal allowance — reported to be around $1.3 million — which previously helped offset the $38 million financial burden of managing the property.

This sudden financial disconnect comes on top of an earlier move by Charles to cut Andrew’s seven-figure private security funding, leaving him to cover all the expenses himself.

The change follows the fallout from Andrew’s association with the late and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, which led to his forced withdrawal from public life and growing isolation within the royal family.

Royal biographer Robert Hardman revealed in his updated biography that Charles has acted decisively, adding, “The Duke is no longer a financial burden on the King.”

This bold financial stance by Charles has put the onus on Andrew to maintain the costly fortune he fought to keep. The message from the monarchy is clear: no support, no security and no special treatment. The Duke of York signed a 75-year lease on the Royal Lodge in 2003, paying an initial $1.3 million and agreeing to a notional rent of about $336,000 a year.

However, this agreement came with heavy responsibilities; the lease includes a strict requirement to “repair, renew, maintain, clean and keep in repair” the residence, with interior redecoration every seven years and exterior painting every five years, according to the Daily Mail.

Sources have told the newspaper that Andrew is now behind on those obligations, with the last external work due in 2022 and internal work planned for this year. To date, the duke has spent close to $9 million on renovations since moving in.

However, sources indicate that annual maintenance alone costs approximately $520,000, with major repairs now estimated to be over $2.6 million.

Rumors that Andrew was struggling to cover maintenance surfaced last year and this month, the situation looks more critical than ever. Insiders claim to the Daily Mail that Charles has set a deadline, giving Andrew until the end of the year to prove he has the funds to tackle the fitting repairs – or risk losing his property entirely.

“It’s the closest Andrew has come to being kicked out since he stepped down as a working royal,” a source told The Express, underlining the high stakes of Charles’ decision.

For months, Charles has reportedly been encouraging Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage, a smaller, more modest home recently vacated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Andrew, however, has repeatedly refused, digging in his heels and refusing to shrink from the Royal Lodge. For the King, the move represents a crucial attempt to resolve what insiders describe to The Express as “the Andrew issue”.