King Charles is fed up with his brother Prince Andrew's antics, according to a royal expert.
After officially cutting off his brother's financial lifeline last month, the monarch was able to spend an extra million million on his 76th birthday celebrations on Thursday.
The disgraced Duke of York, 64, was set to leave the Royal Lodge in the grounds of Windsor Castle after Prince Charles refused to continue shouldering his brother's financial burden.
But last week it was sensationally revealed that Andrew had found a financial backer at the eleventh hour and was allowed to remain at the royal digs.
Royal photographer Helena Chard said Charles was fed up with the situation, but the king recognized his scandal-scarred brother was “fragile”.
“Despite cancer treatment, he endures a demanding work schedule,” Chard said. told Fox News. “Despite King Charles taking decisive action to insulate it financially, the Royal Lodge issue continues.”
The father of two has lived on the large property since 2004. He currently lives there with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
“Prince Andrew is no longer a working royal and is seen in the court of public opinion as a lazy, entitled and privileged duke,” she continued.
“King Charles recognizes that Andrew is a vulnerable person, but he also acknowledges that he caused a lot of upset himself, including by making surprising decisions and giving tragic interviews.” Mr. Chard added.
“Prince Andrew is now able to keep his lease and pay for his Windsor home because he has friends in high places who come up with the cash he needs.”
Since finding his anonymous financial backer, Andrew has faced demands from the UK government to reveal the source of his newfound funding.
It is still unclear where exactly the Duke of York got the funds to stay on the estate, with his only known stable source of income being his Royal Navy pension.
Secret wallet keeper Michael Stevens is reported to have approved Andrew's loan, leading to public speculation as to where the money came from.
Andrew has been a pariah in the royal family for his links to the disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein, and has been living off a large allowance from the king's personal fortune since 2019.
Charles' long list of expenses includes $4 million a year worth of personal protection and regular cash allowances, both of which he said last month he no longer intends to cover.
As a result, Andrew was ordered to move from the 31-room property to the smaller Frogmore Cottage, but he refused.
The site has been vacant since Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan handed over the keys in 2023.
