Prince Andrew breaks cover as he goes for a drive on the Long Walk in Windsor – after claims he ‘has no long-term future’ at his Royal Lodge home

Prince Andrew appeared unperturbed as he drove through crowds of tourists in Windsor today – just weeks after reports he had ‘no future’ at his Royal Lodge home.

The Duke of York, 63, opted for a red jumper and blue shirt as he got behind the wheel before heading off.

It comes amid rumors that King Charles privately believes his younger brother has ‘no long-term future’ in his royal household, despite giving Andrew more time to prove he can pay for the upkeep of the mansion.

One family friend said: ‘In all honesty, I wouldn’t expect to see the Duke of York living at Royal Lodge in the long term. If he could pay the maintenance, he would be welcome to stay. But the chances of that happening are frankly remote.

“He and the duchess… rattling around in a huge property they simply can’t afford.”

The king wiped out Andrew’s annual allowance – believed to be in the region of £250,000 – following the emergence of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Andrew is said to have paid Epstein sexual abuse victim Virginia Roberts £12m to settle a case she brought against him out of court – claims he has strongly denied.

Over the past two days, Andrew has been pictured riding a horse in Windsor Great park.

Yesterday, the father-of-two wore navy jodhpurs and a zip-up jumper with a royal numeral on it for the outing, making sure to don a riding helmet and gloves.

Last month, he appeared to be enjoying his equestrian pursuits – and Range Rover driving – very often.

The pictures follow reports that the beleaguered Duke of York has been given permission by the monarch to ‘stay indefinitely’ at his Windsor mansion after they ‘slammed a new deal’.

The couple have been at odds over Charles’ demands that Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah, move out of the 30-room royal property – which has problems with damp and requires multi-million pound repairs – to somewhere smaller, such as Harry and Meghan’s old home, Frogmore Cottage.

The Mirror reported this week that Andrew was granted a ‘stay of execution’ after Charles agreed his brother should be given time to prove he can pay for the upkeep of the mansion.

Several well-placed sources in royal circles have told the Mail that the prince is not being ‘realistic’ about his financial situation after being forced to step back from public duties.

A family friend said: ‘It’s all a bit of cloud cuckoo land, I’m afraid. No one, least of all His Majesty, believes there is any realistic, long-term chance that the Duke of York will be able to keep a roof over his head at Royal Lodge.

‘It’s a massive property and estate that requires a huge amount of maintenance.’

The king’s powers to remove Andrew are limited because he took the late Queen Mother’s Grade II-listed property from the Crown Estate on a long-term lease in 2004 and funded millions of pounds worth of renovations. If King Charles did persuade him to move, the Crown Estate may even owe Andrew money.

But the sovereign is not only alive to what it looks like for an unemployed ex-royal to live in such palatial surroundings, but also to the lucrative income that Royal Lodge could bring in as a rental property on the open market.

‘The Duke is clearly not going down without a fight,’ one insider noted. ‘It will probably all end in tears. Most likely his.’

It comes after his appearance with the Prince and Princess of Wales last month – when the family traveled to church in Balmoral – was seen as a ‘public declaration of togetherness’.

Sitting next to William on the way to church, Andrew appeared to be well and truly back in the royal fold.

He was driven to church by the future king, whose wife sat in the back seat.

They joined other family members at the church as the royal family enjoyed their first summer holiday at the estate since the Queen’s death there a year ago.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that the pictures of Prince Andrew traveling to church with Wales were ‘clearly intended to send a message of family unity’.

But he insisted it was not a sign that Andrew could return to public duties in any form.

‘It is a sad time for the Royal Family during their customary retreat at Balmoral. They and the nation will soon mark a year since the death of the Queen,’ said Mr Fitzwilliams.

‘We know how close Andrew was to the late Queen, and his appearance at the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service in March 2022, where he supported her physically while she gave him emotional and financial support, caused much controversy.

‘It has been reported that his allowance has been cut. His tenure at Royal Lodge in Windsor, which is his home, was rumored to be in jeopardy.

“He is also believed to be trying to regain the police protection he lost when he stepped down from royal duties.”

But Mr Fitzwilliams added: ‘It is important to stress that there is no possibility, as King Charles and Prince William have always realised, that he will return to public duties in any form.

“A look at his non-existent popularity ratings in the polls makes the public mood very clear on this issue.

‘However, what is emphasized is harmony on a personal level and clearly he and his immediate family, who are also at Balmoral, would greatly appreciate that, especially as the pictures we see today are such a very public statement of togetherness. ‘