Plans for Prince Andrew to move into Harry and Meghan’s former home ‘quietly shelved’
A plan to move Prince Andrew into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former home has been “quietly shelved” amid his ex-wife’s cancer battle.
The shafting has reportedly been in the works since King Charles succeeded last year and would involve his brother moving from Royal Lodge to the more modest Frogmore Cottage, which are both on the Windsor Estate.
However, the diagnosis of his former spouse Sarah Ferguson with breast cancer last month has now put any plans on hold as she recovers from major surgery at the house.
The Duke of York lives at the 30-room property with his ex-wife, despite the pair divorcing in 1996.
A palace insider told MailOnline that any plans for the contentious move to go ahead soon have been ‘quietly shelved’ while the duchess recovers.
The former royal, 63, underwent a single mastectomy after a routine mammogram detected a shadow on one of her breasts.
Prince Andrew signed a 75-year lease on the ￡30million property in 2003 which he is believed to want to honour.
It was reported last month that the Duke of York was refusing to leave the palatial home while it undergoes building works due to his concern that he could be evicted before he returns.
The lease was undertaken with the Crown Estate in Prince Andrew’s name for a ￡1m one-off payment in 2003.
He carried out refurbishments at his own expense and is believed to have spent around ￡7m renovating the property.
Prince Harry and Meghan were given notice to vacate their five-bedroom home days after his autobiography was released in January. They officially moved out earlier in the summer.
Since the pair relocated to the US in 2020, the house has at times been occupied by Prince Andrew’s daughter Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two children.
There have also been suggestions Prince William “has his eye” on Royal Lodge, which spans 98 acres, in a bid to keep a home that will “reflect his new role”, according to the Daily Mail.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children currently live in Adelaide Cottage, which is also on the Windsor Estate, but reportedly find the four-bedroom cottage “very cramped”.
The young family moved to Windsor from London just weeks before the Queen’s death in 2022.
Prince Andrew moved into Royal Lodge after the death of the Queen Mother in 2002, who was its previous tenant for more than 50 years.
The duke stepped down as a working royal in 2019 over his alleged ties and friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.