Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson seemed carefree as they drove through the Windsor Estate this afternoon amid reports the Duke fears losing his home – while Fergie’s plush Belgravia flat may have been bought by her daughters.
The once-married couple, who share daughters Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 32, sat side-by-side in a Range Rover this afternoon as they headed out to take Queen Elizabeth’s corgis for a walk.
Fergie and the Duke of York’s chipper moods come as the Mail on Sunday reports the mother-of-two was gifted her £4.25 million flat in Belgravia by her daughters, after it emerged she cannot sell the property without written consent from Beatrice and Eugenie.
In contrast, it has been suggested this weekend that Prince Andrew, who celebrated his 63rd birthday this week, has less reason to be in a chipper mood after the Daily Mail reported he fears his older brother King Charles is trying to force him out of his £30 million Windsor home.
The newspaper reported the Duke of York has told friends he is unlikely to be able to maintain upkeep of the home without receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds every year from the King.
Prince Andrew looked in high spirits this afternoon as he was spotted driving his Range Rover on the Windsor Estate while his ex-wife and good friend Sarah Ferguson looked equally chipper in the passenger seat. The couple’s jovial expressions come amid reports the Duke fears being ‘forced out’ of his £30 million Windsor home as he may not be able to afford the upkeep once King Charles cuts down on Duchy payments
When the Duke was hit by bombshell allegations of sexual abuse in 2019 (which he continues to deny) he stepped down from being a working royal and therefore no longer received public funds.
Instead, he relied on the generosity of his late mother who supported him with private funds from the Duchy of Lancaster. The sum has been reported to have been approximately £249,000 per year.
However in the last few weeks, the King has reportedly asked all members of the royal family to tighten their belts and to expect less money from the Duchy – now owned by Charles – than in the past.
People close to the Duke told the newsaper he feels particularly hard done by amid his brother’s announcement as his only other income is a small Navy pension.
The Mail on Sunday reported that Fergie (pictured right) would need written consent from her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie before selling her £4.25 million Belgravia flat
One friend said: ‘It feels as though his brother wishes to evict him.’
Another source said: ‘He’s not being explicitly kicked out but it’s expected that he won’t be able to afford the maintenance.
‘Royal Lodge has a swimming pool, 98 acres of land and is already in need of some repair.’
Another friend said: ‘They’ve been told their subsidy, vital for maintaining Royal Lodge, will be cut as soon as April.’
After Andrew spent millions of pounds reaching a no-fault settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexual abuse when she was a teenager, friends suggested he may consider a move to the US to pursue commercial opportunities similar to Harry and Meghan’s new ventures.
However, where the Duke may raise concerns he will be out of pocket without money from the Duchy of Lancaster, others have argued he would have received a not-insignificant inheritance from his parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
Meanwhile the Mail on Sunday reported today that Andrew’s ex-wife Fergie, 63, who moved into a £4.25 million flat in Belgravia last year, would not be able to sell the lavish pad without written consent from her daughters.
The deeds also reveal the Duchess, who once described herself as ‘continually on the brink of bankruptcy’, paid £4.25 million outright without need of a mortgage.
A legal source told the newspaper that the restriction in the deed suggested that her daughters may have stumped up the funds.
The source further explained: ‘But it also could mean that whoever purchased the property wants to make sure that her daughters ultimately benefit from it.
‘Usually a restriction like this one is needed to stop conmen taking advantage of vulnerable elderly relatives and selling their house from under them when they are in a care home, but I don’t think that applies in this case.’
A source close to the Duchess declined to comment on what they described as a ‘private matter’, however they noted Fergie’s success with her novel releases as a potential explanation for financial fortunes.
The source said: ‘She has bought it very much as a nest egg for the girls so it does not surprise me at all that she has put that kind of provision in.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk