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Privacy NoticePrince Andrew has reportedly taken up a bizarre new hobby as he continues to refuse to leave the Royal Lodge. King Charles has been asking his brother to vacate the £30million mansion in Windsor for more than a year, but Andrew is said to be refusing to budge. The Duke of York reportedly told the King he plans to stay for the remainder of the 55-year lease he signed two decades ago. Andrew was reportedly offered the keys to nearby Frogmore Cottage, which is currently empty after being home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, he declined. Without any royal duties to attend since he was stripped of his titles in 2022, the 64 year old Duke is said to be keeping busy with a few hobbies, such as horse riding around Windsor Castle mews and playing golf.
The Duke of York has taken up the surprising hobby
(Image: (Image: Getty))
One of his more unusual hobbies is said to include watching live plane traffic from around the world on a projector screen. Royal correspondent Richard Kay wrote in the Daily Mail: “The one-time helicopter pilot – commended for his bravery in the Falklands War flying decoy missions to draw Argentine missiles away from the ships of the British task force – is able to watch flights landing and taking off at airports all over the globe. According to a visitor to Royal Lodge, the prince has become obsessed by the app beloved of plane spotter nerds.” OK! has reached out to Prince Andrew’s representatives for comment.
Prince Andrew was a Royal Navy Helicopter Pilot and served in the Falklands War
(Image: Getty)
Andrew is facing increasing costs in his bid to remain at the Royal Lodge, relying on a Royal Navy pension and a royal living allowance of approximately £1million per year. Since being dismissed from his role as a working royal two years ago, he’s been footing the bill for his own security and has also had to cover the maintenance costs of the 19th-century Grade II listed house, including a recent £200,000 bill for roof repairs. Earlier this year, reports suggested that Prince Andrew was concerned that King Charles might cut off his utilities at the Royal Lodge as his attempts to evict him escalate. It’s believed that the King wants him to vacate so that the Prince and Princess of Wales’ young family can move in.
Royal Lodge is a desirable royal property in Windsor
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Royal Lodge is a Grade II listed home on the Windsor Estate and is just a five mile drive from the King’s home of Windsor Castle. It was built in the mid-seventeenth century and did not have a permanent royal resident until the 1930s when The Duke and Duchess of York were granted it by King George V. The Queen Mother continued to use the lodge after King George VI’s death in 1952 and died there on March 30, 2002 with the Queen by her side.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth sit in the gardens of Royal Lodge with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret
(Image: GETTY IMAGES)
Following the Queen Mother’s death, the property was leased to Prince Andrew in 2003 and he was required to pay for any and all renovations himself. It is thought that the costs of the improvements rose above £7.5 million. Along with the main house, the lease included the Gardener’s Cottage, the Chapel Lodge, six Lodge Cottages, police security accommodation and a whopping 40 hectares of land. Following the renovations, Prince Andrew moved in to the property with his two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie in 2004. Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York moved in soon after and still lives with her former husband despite having separated in 1992.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnMeghan MarklePrince AndrewPrince HarryPrince WilliamWindsor CastleWindsorQueen Elizabeth IIQueen MotherKing Charles IIISarah, Duchess of York
