Prince Andrew Fears Moving Out of the Royal Lodge Will Be Seen as Admitting 'Guilt' for Jeffrey Epstein Allegations

Prince Andrew was asked to move out of the Royal Lodge in 2023, but the Duke of York continues to live at the mansion with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson .

According to royal expert Hugo Vickers , Andrew vacating the estate could be seen as confessing to the assault allegations against him.

"I think we must all accept that he is not wanted for any public duties," Vickers told an outlet. "If you were running a charity you wouldn't be asking Prince Andrew to come and be your guest of honor. So nobody wants him in a public way."

"So there he is living at Royal Lodge , playing golf, seeing his children and grandchildren and riding in the park and it is expensive," Vickers continued. "The ideal situation would of course be that Andrew would volunteer to down-size and move somewhere else."

In 2022, Andrew was stripped of his HRH status after being accused of abuse and having ties to Jeffrey Epstein .

"What I think he feels is that if he moves out of Royal Lodge it's somehow publicly accepting guilt for which he has not been proved," Vickers noted. "Nevertheless it's an expensive lifestyle."

OK! previously reported an insider claimed King Charles is grappling with the current rifts within the royal fold.

“Charles does look at the current state of his family with deep concern. Everyone, it seems, has issues, whether it be health, financial, legal,” a source told an outlet.

“This situation with Andrew and the Royal Lodge has somewhat divided the family…with Anne , Sophie, and Edward all disappointed in how he’s handled it," they continued. “Then there’s the diabolical situation with his two beloved sons."

Aside from Charles' request, Meghan Markle 's former friend Lizzy Cundy hinted at the duke allowing the estate to fall apart out of spite.

“He is letting this place — it has 30-odd bedrooms, and he is letting it go to ruin," Cundy told GB News . “The conditions attached to the lease are that you have to paint it every five years and so on, he hasn’t done that."

“Even if there is a lease you have, he is not reaching the requirements. Royal Lodge is going to rot," Cundy explained. “If you look from the outside, it’s all chipped. Paint from the bricks is falling off and it costs £400,000 for the year for the upkeep."

When Andrew stepped back from being a working royal, he was stripped of his salary. Due to Andrew's change in income, many royal watchers believe he cannot afford to maintain his home.

“It’s a lot of money. Andrew is out of favor and it cannot work. He really is in trouble, but he will not leave," Cundy continued.

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Vickers spoke to The Sun .