New Book Details Andrew’s ‘Awkward’ Run-In With Harry After ‘Refusing’ to Move Into His Former Home
As King Charles pushed for a royal relocation, a property dispute at Royal Lodge sparked an uncomfortable run-in for Prince Harry.
Amid his ongoing public back-and-forth with the Sussexes, Tom Bower has now pulled back the curtain on Prince Harry’s ‘awkward’ run-in with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — exposing the internal friction between the two embattled royals. In his latest book, Betrayal: Power, Deceit And The Fight For The Future Of The Royal Family, the royal biographer reveals how property disputes — such as the former Duke of York’s initial refusal to vacate Royal Lodge — resulted in a poor atmosphere at a pivotal moment for the Crown.
At the heart of the tension sits King Charles’ attempt to relocate his disgraced brother from the Grade II-listed property — a massive 30-room royal residence that Mountbatten-Windsor shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson for about two decades. The monarch had instead proposed that the former Prince move to Frogmore Cottage — a modest five-bedroom Windsor home which was previously occupied by Harry and Meghan Markle until they were asked to leave in 2023. The former Duke, however, allegedly turned down the proposal — viewing the cottage as inadequate next to the grand scale of Royal Lodge. This defiance resulted in a chilly reunion during the 2023 coronation of Charles.
Despite the behind-the-scenes property drama, Mountbatten-Windsor and the Duke of Sussex walked into Westminster Abbey side-by-side. In his book, Bower describes the scene in stark detail, noting, “In the driving rain, Harry arrived at the abbey with Andrew. The disgraced Prince was, at the time, still refusing the King’s order to move to Frogmore from Royal Lodge.” The encounter was steeped in irony, the royal author argued, as the former Prince was actively rejecting the very home Harry had been forced to vacate following the release of his tell-all memoir, Spare.
Apparently, the personal feelings between the two were just as strained as the housing negotiations. “Relations between the uncle and his nephew were not good. In some accounts, Andrew had scathingly dismissed Meghan as an 'opportunist,’” he wrote. While the disgraced royal initially snubbed Frogmore, his stance eventually shifted after his controversial Epstein ties came back to haunt him. By 2025, he was stripped of his princely status, dukedom, and finally asked to give up the lease of Royal Lodge. This time — instead of resisting — he reportedly decided to take a U-turn, choosing the Windsor cottage over a total exit from the estate.
The change of heart, however, arrived too late. After his February 19 arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, matters were taken out of his hands. Mountbatten-Windsor was effectively forced to move to Wood Farm Cottage on the King’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where he currently resides while awaiting the completion of renovations at Marsh Farm. Bower’s revelations highlight a time of deep instability within the Firm — showcasing that the former Prince’s refusal to accept a modest life at Frogmore Cottage only added to the isolation between him and the rest of the Royal Family.
