ANGELA LEVIN: Does Charles and Andrew’s fight have roots in a conspiracy to replace his brother as king?

There are understandable reasons why King Charles would want his younger brother to move out of the 30-room Royal Lodge, the Queen Mother’s former mansion on the Windsor estate.

For example, there is a need to cut spending.

The King has correctly identified the cost of the monarchy as a major and potentially dangerous political issue – which is why he has cut the £250,000 annual grant Andrew received each year from her late mother.

Is it appropriate for a disgraced prince to live in such a style? Not everyone would believe that. Also, since Andrew’s kids are grown, it’s not like he needs the space.

Is sibling rivalry a factor in the ongoing row between King Charles and Prince Andrew? Pictured: Prince Andrew and Prince Charles celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee June 5, 2012 at St. Paul’s Cathedral

Royal Lodge, a £30million mansion on the Windsor Estate (pictured) where Andrew has lived for 20 years, is now a major bone of contention between Charles and Andrew

The late Queen had a huge soft spot for Prince Andrew, her second son, and found it difficult to say ‘no’ to him. The two are pictured in April 1980

And then there is the question of where Prince William, the heir to the throne, should live with his young family.

For the moment the Waleses are at nearby Adelaide Cottage, but few doubt Royal Lodge is a more fitting home for a future king.

However, I believe there are other, even more personal, reasons that could influence Charles’ determination to move his younger brother out of Royal Lodge. Reasons rooted in one’s family history and perhaps related to a particular extraordinary episode.

The first point is that her mother, the late Queen, had a soft spot for Prince Andrew, her second son, and found it difficult to say ‘no’ to him.

Prince Philip, meanwhile, was proud of Andrew’s macho demeanor and delighted that he followed him into the Navy.

So perhaps it’s not surprising that Andrew got quite cocky, or that the personality differences between the two princes drew comparisons that weren’t always Charles’s favourite.

Despite all the love that existed between Prince Philip and his thoughtful eldest son, it is also believed that the Duke of Edinburgh found Charles an enigma.

Charles and Andrew are very different people – and it’s worth remembering that fact when it comes to the ongoing dispute over the future of the £30million Royal Lodge.

While Charles would like Andrew to be downsized to the nearby five-bedroom Frogmore Cottage, which Harry and Meghan no longer use, it would be entirely understandable if the younger man felt there was a personal dimension to the demand.

Queen Elizabeth with Prince Philip and their three sons Andrew, Charles and Edward on holiday at Balmoral in 1979

The Queen, Prince Andrew, the late Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne aboard an aircraft carrier in 2001 after Andrew’s return from the Falkland Islands. Philip was proud that Andrew had followed him into the Navy

Andrew came to believe he would be a better king than his brother – and according to author Angela Levin, he tried to persuade Queen Elizabeth to remove Charles from the line of succession

King Charles wants Prince Andrew downsized to the nearby five-bedroom Frogmore Cottage, which is no longer used by Harry and Meghan

As revealed by The Mail on Sunday, Andrew remains determined not to move.

His children – including the heavily pregnant Eugenie – are frequent visitors and his former wife Sarah Ferguson spends much of her time there.

How long can he hold out? It’s difficult to say. Andrew signed a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate, not the late Queen, and that lease has a long way to go.

At the same time, however, he is contractually bound to keep the estate in good condition and is unlikely to be able to afford to do so unless a generous patron steps in.

Even this brick-and-mortar battle is, by extension, no more than an argument. The brothers, with very different personalities, values ​​and outlooks on life, have been antagonists for some time.

Andrew, like Harry, was the “replacement” and second in line to the throne until Prince William was born in 1982 and succeeded him in line to the throne.

Angela Levin believes that Andrew, Fergie and Princess Diana plotted to push Prince Charles aside so that Prince Andrew could become regent to Prince William, who was just a teenager at the time. Pictured: Princess Diana talking to Sara and Prince Andrew in 1987

Andrew went to great lengths to persuade the late queen to agree to her plan so that after her death William and not Charles would be king with Andrew as regent until William was old enough to ascend the throne

And he was convinced that he would do better than his more sensitive older brother.

A royal insider told me there were talks between Andrew, Fergie and Princess Diana about how Prince Charles could be sidelined.

This would have left Andrew as regent for Prince William, then a teenager, effectively placing the Duke of York on the throne.

As I explain in my book Camilla, From Outcast to Queen Consort, Andrew even went so far as to persuade the late Queen to go along with her plan

And that he went to great lengths to prevent Charles from marrying Camilla as well.

“His behavior became very, very negative and extremely uncomfortable when he didn’t push through,” my source said.

It was around this time – and amid much debate about Charles’ suitability to marry Camilla – that Queen Elizabeth was engaged in serious behind-closed-door talks with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George (now Lord) Carey.

Queen Elizabeth leaves St George’s Chapel with the Archbishop of Canterbury after a service to mark her Golden Jubilee

Apparently, Andrew claimed Camilla wasn’t aristocratic enough and couldn’t be trusted. But he couldn’t convince Queen Elizabeth that these things were true

When I wrote Camilla’s biography last year, Lord Carey told me that he had spoken favorably to the Queen about Charles marrying Camilla, the woman he loved.

However, I understand that the Queen continued to raise the matter with Prince Andrew.

The insider told me Andrew was “pretty toxic, mean, unhelpful and very angry with Camilla.”

Apparently Andrew had felt that she was not aristocratic enough to be trusted.

If he often seemed convincing to the queen, this time it didn’t work.

As a result, I am told, Andrew “remained so hostile to accepting Camilla that it is doubtful she was ever forgiven.”

• Angela Levin’s updated biography Camilla, From Outcast to Queen Consort is published by Simon and Schuster for £20.00. To order a copy, click Here.