Prince Andrew cut a solemn figure as he rode his horse through the grounds of Windsor Castle today.
The Duke of York, 63, opted for an all-black outfit with a long raincoat as he saddled up in Windsor Great Park on the eve of Armistice Day.
He also gave a subtle nod to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. by placing a bunch of red poppies on his horse for the second time.
The poppy was tied to the horse’s bridle – a gesture often associated with the late Queen Elizabeth, who displayed flowers on her horses around Remembrance Day each year.
The Prince was seen driving last Friday with a poppy on his horse.
Prince Andrew cut a solemn figure as he rode his horse outside the Royal Lodge in Windsor today
Wearing a burgundy sweater and khaki jacket, Andrew appeared cheerful as he threw his head back and laughed.
It came amid rumors that King Charles privately believes his younger brother ‘has no long-term future’ in his royal family, despite giving Andrew more time to prove he can afford his upkeep of the country house.
A family friend said: ‘To be honest, I didn’t expect the Duke of York to live at Royal Lodge in the long term. If he could afford the upkeep, he would like to stay. But the chances of that happening are honestly slim.
“He and the Duchess… are rattling around in a huge property that they simply can’t afford.”
The king cut Andrew’s annual allowance – believed to be around £250,000 – following the emergence of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Andrew is said to have paid Epstein sex abuse victim Virginia Roberts £12 million to settle a case she brought against him out of court – allegations he strongly denied.
Last month, Andrew was pictured riding through Windsor Great Park on horseback.
The father-of-two wore navy blue riding breeches and a zip-up sweater with a royal code on it for the outing, making sure to wear a riding helmet and gloves.
The Duke of York, 63, paid tribute to his late mother by placing red poppies on his horse for the second time
Queen Elizabeth II takes the salute during the Trooping the Color ceremony in London in 1983
In September he seemed to be enjoying his equestrian activities and driving a Range Rover very regularly.
The pictures follow reports that the beleaguered Duke of York has been given permission by the monarch to stay at his Windsor mansion ‘indefinitely’ after they ‘agreed a new deal’.
The pair are at loggerheads over Charles’s demand that Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah move the 30-room royal property – which has problems with damp and needs several million pounds worth of repairs – to a smaller area, such as if it Harry and Meghan’s old home, Frogmore Cottage.
The Mirror reported last month that Andrew had been granted a stay of execution after Charles accepted that his brother would be given time to prove he can afford 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 his public duties.
A family friend said: ‘It’s all a bit cloud cuckoo land I’m afraid. No one, not least His Majesty, believes there is any realistic chance that the Duke of York can keep the roof of the Royal Lodge over his head in the long term.
‘It is a huge building and an estate that requires a huge amount of maintenance.’
The King’s powers to remove Andrew are limited because he took over the late Queen Mother’s Grade II listed building from the Crown Estate on a long-term lease in 2004 and funded many millions of pounds worth of renovations. If King Charles were to persuade him to move, the Crown Estate could even owe Andrew money.
The pair are at loggerheads over Charles’ demands that Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah vacate the 30-room royal property. The king depicted in June
The King has no right to kick his brother out because Andrew took over the late Queen Mother’s Grade II listed building from the Crown Estate on a long-term lease in 2004 and financed many millions of pounds worth of renovations.
The Mirror reported last month that Andrew had been granted a stay of execution after Charles accepted that his brother would be given time to prove he can afford 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 his public duties.
A family friend said: ‘It’s all a bit cloud cuckoo land I’m afraid. No one, not least His Majesty, believes there is any realistic chance that the Duke of York can keep the roof of the Royal Lodge over his head in the long term.
‘It is a huge building and an estate that requires a huge amount of maintenance.’
The King’s powers to remove Andrew are limited because he took over the late Queen Mother’s Grade II listed building from the Crown Estate on a long-term lease in 2004 and funded many millions of pounds worth of renovations. If King Charles were to persuade him to move, the Crown Estate could even owe Andrew money.
The Mirror reported last month that Andrew had been granted a stay of execution after Charles accepted that his brother would be given time to prove he can afford 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 his public duties.
A family friend said: ‘It’s all a bit cloud cuckoo land I’m afraid. No one, not least His Majesty, believes there is any realistic chance that the Duke of York can keep the roof of the Royal Lodge over his head in the long term.
‘It is a gigantic building and an estate that requires a huge amount of maintenance.’
The King’s powers to remove Andrew are limited because he took over the late Queen Mother’s Grade II listed building from the Crown Estate on a long-term lease in 2004 and funded many millions of pounds worth of renovations. If King Charles were to persuade him to move, the Crown Estate could even owe Andrew money.