Prince Andrew has been in the royal news a lot lately because King Charles was doing the most to evict Andrew from Royal Lodge, and then Andrew mysteriously found enough money to stay put. Andrew hasn’t done much since his mother passed away – he’s turned up at a few public events (the coronation, King Constantine’s memorial service), but most of the time, he just keeps to himself in Windsor. He goes riding, he spends time with Fergie (who still lives in Royal Lodge as well) and he spends time with his daughters. According to Hello, Beatrice and Eugenie visit their father consistently, and they’re allowing him to spend lots of time with their kids.
Five years on from the fateful Newsnight interview that spelled the end of his public life, the Duke of York is taking solace in his grandchildren. Prince Andrew, who largely spends his days at Royal Lodge, his 30-bedroom home on the Windsor Estate, has been seen driving three-year-old Sienna Mapelli-Mozzi through the park and helping her to take the reins as she learns to ride. It’s a tradition that royal children have followed over the decades since Queen Elizabeth first sat on a pony at the same age. But it also gives a rare insight into how the Duke is keeping himself occupied, with the support of his “loyal and protective” daughters.
Hello! understands Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have been taking turns to spend weekends with their father, taking their children along to boost his spirits.
A source tells HELLO! “The girls take the grandchildren to visit him most weekends. They are spending far more time with him now than they have done in recent years. They are quite close to their father; they seem to be quite protective towards him.”
Both Princesses are said to have hosted friends for shoots on the estate in recent weeks, keeping another tradition held by their grandmother the late Queen Elizabeth, who would put on the gatherings for her grandchildren.
The Duke still plays golf and is often seen on horseback in the grounds of Windsor Castle and when his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, is at home they walk their five Norfolk Terriers and two of the late Queen’s Corgis in the 98 acres of land around Royal Lodge and in the gardens at Frogmore.
But Andrew’s daily life is worlds away from the one he enjoyed before stepping away from public life in 2019, in the aftermath of his doomed friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. His diary, once filled with outings, engagements and global travel now lies empty, which is why, royal watchers believe, he has clung on to Royal Lodge as a constant in his life.
“He’s got nothing else, he’s got no public life, he has no public role,” royal author Robert Hardman tells HELLO!’s Right Royal Podcast. “He is clearly devoted to this home and he likes being there, so if he can make it work, he’s going to try.”
Andrew’s plan – which has been spelled out repeatedly by “sources” – is that he will leave his Royal Lodge lease to Beatrice and Eugenie. He absolutely wants his daughters to eventually live there, and he is only 21 years into a 75-year lease agreement which he’s just proven cannot be broken by the monarch. I’m not sure if I really believe that Beatrice and Eugenie dote on their father, or that they’re particularly attentive to him. I would imagine that they’re bringing their kids over mostly to spend time with Fergie, right? Fergie seems like she wants to be super-involved with her grandkids. Anyway… I’m glad that Eugenie has one foot out the door in this situation.
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