Prince Andrew is back in the saddle: Embarrassed royal spotted back on horseback as doubts swirl over future of his Windsor home

Embarrassed Prince Andrew was seen riding a horse again today as doubts swirled about the future of his home at the Royal House of Windsor.

Rumors that King Charles privately believes his younger brother ‘has no long-term future’ in his royal household have swirled, despite the fact that he has given Andrew, 63, more time to prove he can pay his way his for the maintenance of the residence.

A family friend said: “Honestly, I wouldn’t expect to see the Duke of York living in Royal Lodge for the long term. If he could pay the upkeep then he would be welcome to stay. But the chances are that this happening are, frankly, remote.

“He and the duchess are… knocking on a huge property they just can’t afford.”

The king scrapped Andrew’s annual allowance – believed to be around £250,000 – after the Jeffrey Epstein scandal emerged. Andrew is said to have paid Epstein’s sex abuse victim, Virginia Roberts, £12m to settle a case she brought against him out of court – allegations he vehemently denied.

Over the past couple of days, Andrew has been photographed riding around Windsor Park on horseback.

Yesterday, the father-of-two sported navy and a chain jumper with a royal figure on it for a walk, making sure to put on a helmet and riding gloves.

Last month, he appeared to enjoy his horse riding activities – and driving the Range Rover – very regularly.

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

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

The Mirror reported this week that Andrew had taken an ‘execution stance’ after Charles admitted his brother should be given time to prove he can pay for the upkeep of the mansion.

Multiple royal sources 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: “This is all cuckoo land, I’m afraid.” No one, least of all His Majesty, believes that there is any realistic long-term chance that the Duke of York will be able to keep the roof at Royal Lodge over his head.

“It’s a massive property and asset that requires a huge amount of maintenance.”

The King’s powers to remove Andrew are limited because he took over the late Queen’s Grade II-listed property from the Crown Estate in 2004 on a long-term lease and has funded multi-million pound renovations. If King Charles convinced him to move, then the Crown Estate could even end up owing money to Andrew.

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

“The Duke is clearly not going down without a fight,” an insider noted. “All this will probably end in tears. More likely his.’

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

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

He was driven to the 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 property since the Queen’s death there a year ago.

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

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

“This is a sad time for the Royal Family on their usual holiday at Balmoral. They and the nation will soon mark a year since the Queen’s death,” Mr Fitzwilliams said.

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

“It has been reported that his allowance has been cut. It was rumored that his tenure at the Royal Lodge at Windsor, which is his home, was in jeopardy.

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

But Fitzwilliams added: “It is important to note that there is no possibility, as King Charles and Prince William have always understood, of him returning to public office in any form.

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

“However what is highlighted is the harmony on a personal level and it is clear that he and his immediate family, who are also at Balmoral, will greatly appreciate this, especially as the pictures we see today are such a public statement of togetherness .”