04 March 2023 , 14:48
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Prince Andrew was seen smiling while riding a horse this morning despite tensions with King Charles who reportedly asked him to leave Royal Lodge.
The Duke of York appeared cheerful when he was pictured with three grooms in Windsor on Saturday morning.
He is reportedly refusing to leave Royal Lodge, the palatial 30-bedroom Windsor home after the monarch informed him of planned budget cuts to the royal finances.
The disgraced duke, who is no longer a working member of the Royal Family, has even offered to run some of the most prestigious estates in the Royal Family’s portfolio, including the late Queen’s beloved Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire.
Prince Andrew riding with grooms in Windsor (Richard Gillard)Sources have told the Mirror that Andrew pleaded with the King for a "top role", believing the responsibility and prestige with running the properties would offer him a way back into the fold.
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One insider said: "Andrew is insisting on having a job despite being made to stand down from his duties and now he’s being kicked out of his home.
"He's of the opinion that he is still a senior member of the family, despite not being a working royal and deserves to be treated as such.
"He is prepared to take on the responsibility of a big role running an estate and still thinks he is far too young to retire.
"However, the King certainly has a wildly different view to that of his brother and has told him straight, there is no chance of that happening."
The King has resisted all attempts by Andrew and daughters Eugenie and Beatrice, who are also understood to have met His Majesty to fight their father's case.
Despite the King's insistence that he is not for turning, sources close to Andrew suggest he is prepared to "dig his heels in" after being told he must leave his Royal Lodge home.
It has been claimed that the property has a major damp problem and is in need of repair as little work was done on it in recent years.
It is also understood that the roof needs repairing, as an insider claimed: "Royal Lodge is in a terrible state and it is falling down. Millions were spent when Andrew moved in but that was 20 years ago. Barely any work has gone on for two decades and people are shocked when they visit.
Prince Andrew leaving Royal Lodge to go to Windsor on February 20 (Jim Bennett/REX/Shutterstock)"There is a serious issue with damp that needs to be rectified and that isn’t cheap on a house of that size. It also needs a new roof.
"Not only does Andrew not have the finances to bring the home up to scratch, it would be uninhabitable when the work is being carried out."
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Yesterday, claims emerged that Sarah Ferguson reportedly befriended an American billionaire just as she and Andrew face eviction from Royal Lodge.
The Duchess of York, 63, has reportedly flown to the US to meet up with 72-year-old Trammell Crow Jr - who is claimed to be worth a whopping £6billion.
Andrew and Charles during Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 (Getty Images)Fergie also flew to Mr Crow ranch near Austin, Texas, earlier this year.
The property magnate is claimed to have inherited a fortune from his dad’s company.
Fergie's apparent Transatlantic visits come as her ex-husband Prince Andrew fears losing their home in Windsor.
Both live at Royal Lodge despite divorcing in 2006 after their 10-year marriage came to an end.