Prince Andrew’s crumbling mansion threatens to reignite a fresh row with King Charles after he refused to leave the Royal Lodge despite fears he could not afford to pay for repairs

Parts of Prince Andrew’s home appear to be crumbling – months after he refused to leave and assured the king he would take care of the expensive repairs.

Last year, claims emerged that Andrew, 64, could not meet the £400,000-a-year maintenance of the Royal Lodge, which has 30 rooms and is thought to be worth £30 million.

It was reported that the Duke of York, who has no apparent source of income and was forced to give up his royal duties due to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, was told he would have to leave the property.

He was granted a ‘stay of execution’, it was reported in October, after striking a deal with the king to carry out repair work on the 19th-century listed building.

But the state of the mansion’s exterior has now been revealed, with photos said to show it still needs some work, potentially sparking another row.

The Mail revealed last year that the king planned to evict his brother from the mansion on the Windsor estate and move him to a more modest property.

Amid the row over his property, one of Andrew’s friends described last year how there had been a “cooling of relations” between him and the king.

The mirror has published a photo showing part of the property in need of a fresh coat of paint, and reports that apparently worsening cracks are visible in the brickwork.

The newspaper quoted a source as saying: ‘The Duke of York has a clear responsibility for the maintenance of the Royal Lodge estate, which is certainly not happening.

‘The condition of the house will be of great concern to the King after everything that has happened and discussed regarding the house.

“Prince Andrew was told to take charge of the necessary renovations or he has no reason to stay in the house.”

Andrew lived in the house for 20 years and signed a 75-year lease after agreeing to maintain it and paying £250 a week.

Sources close to the Duke said in January: ‘Andrew isn’t going anywhere. He has a cast iron lease.”

The Mail revealed last year that the king planned to evict his brother from the mansion on the Windsor estate and move him to a more modest property.

Frogmore Cottage, previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan, was suggested as a possible alternative, but Andrew reportedly felt this was a ‘demotion’ too far.

Amid the row over his property, one of Andrew’s friends described how there had been a ‘cooling of relations’ between him and the king.

The king’s younger brother was stripped of royal duties and the use of his HRH title by the late queen

Charles then extended an ‘olive branch’ to his brother by inviting him to Balmoral this summer, along with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.

The brothers are said to have held crisis talks at a family meeting there in late August, during which the issue of Andrew’s lease was resolved.

Royal Lodge has seven bedrooms across the two top floors, with Andrew sharing the lavish mansion alone with his ex-wife Sarah.

The mansion is in urgent need of repairs on top of the £200,000 roof maintenance that Andrew has already paid for, including work to fix a damp problem throughout the property.

Frogmore Cottage, previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan, was suggested as a possible alternative

Andrew took over the house from the late Queen Mother on a long-term lease and has spent up to £7 million of his own fortune on renovation work.

In 2022, Andrew paid a £12 million settlement to Virginia Giuffre, ending a civil lawsuit in the US, after she said he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. He strongly denies the claims.

The king’s younger brother was born by the late queen, bYou can still attend family events in your own capacity, such as the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham.

Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.