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King Charles is bearing the consequences of his brother Prince Andrew being the late Queen's 'weakness', a royal correspondent has suggested. Pressure is mounting for the scandal-hit royal to vacate the Grade II listed Royal Lodge, but according to royal expert Roya Nikkhah, the Andrew predicament has been brewing for years. Andrew cannot be legally evicted from the residence owing to his 'watertight' lease, though discussions continue with Charles's advisers to secure his departure from Royal Lodge. Following his disastrous Newsnight appearance in 2019, where he had aimed to restore his reputation, Andrew was compelled to withdraw from Royal duties by Queen Elizabeth. This decision had backing from the then Prince Charles and Prince William , reports the Express . In 2022, after Andrew reached a multi-million-pound agreement with his accuser Virginia Giuffre, his mother compelled him to surrender his HRH status, military honours and patronages. However, the late sovereign couldn't bring herself to strip her son, thought to be her cherished child, of his titles or convince him to find different lodgings. According to Roya, this has exacerbated the situation for the current monarch. Writing in the Sunday Times, she said: "He (Andrew) remained her weak spot, and Charles is now paying the price. "While the King, with support from the Prince of Wales, leant heavily on Andrew last week to voluntarily relinquish his titles and honours, the Duke of Hazard has still not fully bowed to pressure from the monarch. The King has made it clear for more than a year that he wants him out of Royal Lodge." The release of the late Ms Giuffre's posthumous memoir has piled on additional pressure on Andrew, who has consistently denied Ms Giuffre's allegations. Andrew surrendered the Duke of York title and other honours last week following new allegations about his connections to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein . This comes as a property expert shed some light on Prince Andrew's future at Royal Lodge. Due to what's been dubbed a "cast iron" lease with the Crown Estate , Andrew can't be easily evicted from the property. If he consents to terminate the lease early, he could reportedly receive compensation of around £557,595 upon termination, plus annual payments until 2028. Elliot Castle, CEO of We Buy Any Home, clarified: "From a property law standpoint, Prince Andrew's situation at the Royal Lodge appears to be governed by a long-term lease agreement rather than a traditional rental arrangement. "If, as reported, the lease terms were set out in 2003 with a significant upfront payment and refurbishment investment, then he would retain security of tenure under those agreed conditions. "The reference to a 'peppercorn rent' is symbolic - a common feature in long leases where the tenant has paid a large premium up front. "In simple terms, it means the occupier has effectively bought long-term rights to the property, even though the freehold remains with the Crown Estate."
