The King evicts Harry and his wife from Frogmore!

I think you have to factor in the cost of security for high profile people. On the estate it is easier to provide it and no doubt cheaper. If they are dotted all over the place then more security has to be provided, streets cordoned off etc when they are in residence.
This residence was 'gifted' to them by the late monarch. The new monarch does not have to stand by that decision. Andrew needs a secure home and it is cheaper to send him there. I don't think they have the same options of 'sending him to a monastery' as a monarch would have done in the past. Now, that I would like to hear our new monarch utter. 'Brother, get thee to a monastery.'

I suspect it has to do with a general reorganisation by Charles, but in particular I think he wants to remove Andrew from his 30 room mansion and possibly install him in Frogmore Cottage instead, which is cheaper to rent/run. I have read that the Queen financed Andrew to the tune of a quarter of a million every year and maybe Charles wants to change that.

I think the RF should get a single property each and the rest should be sold off. The money they bring in should be divided between the largest cities in the UK with the proviso that it must be spent on social housing.

I'm a monarchist and wish King Charles a long and happy reign. But I do think it important that he downsizes the monarchy and hopefully this is the start of that. Why on earth Prince Andrew needs 31 bedrooms is utterly ridiculous.
I hope and believe that the King will make definite changes in some of the extravagance, and that could start with properties and estates.

Glorianny

I think the RF should get a single property each and the rest should be sold off. The money they bring in should be divided between the largest cities in the UK with the proviso that it must be spent on social housing.

Why should the money you are proposing only go to the largest cities in the UK Glorianny, your response really surprised me in that you didn’t recognise the equal and in some cases greater needs of the small city, town and rural poor? I do appreciate we all have our prejudices though.

BlueBelle

Well I don’t care who it belongs to they should all live in one and give the rest of them away to be used
Why does this rich rich family need all these bloody castles while people live in tents, I hate the awful discrepancies

Maybe you should be more concerned about the Saudi royal family and their multiple British homes Bluebelle.

Just checked, Andrew’s Royal Lodge does indeed have 31 bedrooms! I wonder how many rooms in total then? He certainly doesn’t need it. I wonder why the Queen gave it to him? Oh yes, her favourite!

maddyone

Just checked, Andrew’s Royal Lodge does indeed have 31 bedrooms! I wonder how many rooms in total then? He certainly doesn’t need it. I wonder why the Queen gave it to him? Oh yes, her favourite!

I believe Royal Lodge was left to Andrew by the Queen Mother.

The lease on this residence was gifted to H & M + a peppercorn rent, not the property itself which was not within the late Queens gift . That lease may well have caveats attached, which H & M have not adhered to. The lease on this property may well be coming up for renewal which is now,bearing in mind it is virtually standing empty,deemed inappropriate for H & M to continue with as they have their own home and life in America. If they want a home here, I would suggest they buy their own property with the millions they've made from trashing the RF. It is rumoured that the King is thinking about bequeathing Balmoral to the Scottish people, and just retaining Birkhall. We shall see, I think change is in the air with this king.

Ah okay merlotgran. So how does that work then? If the Royal Lodge is a crown property, so it doesn’t actually belong to the royal family, it belongs to the crown, which I think means the state, but they can have use of it during their lifetime, so how does it work that crown property can be left to someone? I’m puzzled.

maddyone

BlueBelle

Well I don’t care who it belongs to they should all live in one and give the rest of them away to be used
Why does this rich rich family need all these bloody castles while people live in tents, I hate the awful discrepancies

Maybe you should be more concerned about the Saudi royal family and their multiple British homes Bluebelle.

Exactly maddyone and I repeat to BlueBelle that the Qatari royal family own four thousand properties in the UK.

How anyone can get in a flap about our own Royal Family having multiple homes in our own country is beyond me.

Change may well be in the air Jaberwok. The Queen was stuck in the past, she may well have been a good monarch because she didn’t interfere in politics though it is apparent that she interfered rather more than is generally acknowledged but the monarchy needs to move on and not be stuck in the 1950s.

Casdon

Glorianny

I think the RF should get a single property each and the rest should be sold off. The money they bring in should be divided between the largest cities in the UK with the proviso that it must be spent on social housing.

Why should the money you are proposing only go to the largest cities in the UK Glorianny, your response really surprised me in that you didn’t recognise the equal and in some cases greater needs of the small city, town and rural poor? I do appreciate we all have our prejudices though.

You could be right Casdon. I don't think my view was based on prejudice rather on the thought that big cities need large numbers of public service workers who are often under paid and who find accommodation difficult to afford, and that without decent affordable housing the hospitals etc would cease to function.
Perhaps the money should be allotted on the basis of the cost of housing in the area (but then would London get it all?)

"@Germanshepherdsmum": Exactly!

The King has been patient beyond expectation. Good for him. He can make decisions now and good luck to him. Of course he should take back Royal Lodge as Andrew is no longer a working Royal. As for the whinging Prince, he has caused enough hurt to his father and he can pay his way now.

Smileless2012

Omid Scobie has said that two other members of the RF are appalled. Not named of course so maybe it's Archie and Lillibet, can't think of anyone else it could be.

Perhaps H&M could stay with The Appalled's if and when they visit UK?😄

Can anyone answer my question? How does it work if the Queen Mother left Andrew the Royal Lodge, but it’s crown property and it didn’t belong to her? How could she leave it to him? It wasn’t hers to leave to anyone the way I look at it? Can anyone explain?

I thought I read that Michael and Zeta Douglas were living in St James Palace.

That must be a blow for HM.

I've been asking myself the same.question maddyone

The QM didn’t leave Royal Lodge to Andrew. It’s a Crown Estate property where she used to live. He leased it after she died.

Namsnanny

Smileless2012

Omid Scobie has said that two other members of the RF are appalled. Not named of course so maybe it's Archie and Lillibet, can't think of anyone else it could be.

Perhaps H&M could stay with The Appalled's if and when they visit UK?😄

Love it!!

I think Jaberwork might be getting close saying this is probably not be a lease as we understand it. It is probably completely different for Crown properties and no doubt comes with all sorts of caveats attached. For example, private schools with large estates do not offer leases to the workers to live in. They give a Licence to Occupy which is subject to reviews. Maybe Mr. Scobie is using the wrong term here on purpose to wind things up a bit? Don't they get that M & H no longer work for the firm?
I'm beginning to change my opinion of Charles being weak and wussy if he can really do something to cut back on the farce of all these unnecessary residences.

Namsnanny

I thought I read that Michael and Zeta Douglas were living in St James Palace.

That must be a blow for HM.

A one-bedroom flat in St James's Palace is currently on the rental market for just under £4,000 a month

Anyone can rent there if they have the money and presumably if they pass all the security criteria.

I've applied. 👸
We need a little London bolthole.

Crown property belongs to the reigning monarch for the duration of their reign,but its not the private property of the monarch, therefore it cannot be sold, it can however be leased by the Monarch at his discretion, hence P.A has a lease on Royal Lodge gifted by his mother. The late Queen did the same for H & M with Frogwell Cottage. Any revenue from the properties go to the state. This arrangement was apparently instigated in 1760 when George 111rd took the throne.

If this is true, my reaction is "And why not?"

Harry and Megan have spent an awful lot of time and energy telling the world they want nothing to do with the Royal Family or to have any responsibilities to the UK, so why on earth should they have a home at the expense of other citizens of the UK?

And if Prince Andrew is to be the new occupant of Frogmore Cottage it is to be hoped that a condition of his residence there is that he at least tries to behave decently from now on.