THE Kings who defied the Queen when they were asked to quit their North Yorkshire home of 20 years have now been told they can stay put.

Former paratrooper Jim King, 85, and his wife, Joyce, 92, were given a month to quit the cottage they rent from the Duchy of Lancaster at Cloughton, near Scarborough, or face court action.

But the duchy has apologised to the Kings and now says they have been told they can stay in the cottage if they do not wish to move to any other home.

As reported in a national newspaper, the duchy, which makes £13 million a year for the Queen, wants to sell the couple’s home.

The letter told them: “We give notice that we require possession of the dwelling house. This notice expires after March 31, following which the landlord may apply to the court for a possession order.”

Mr King, who is also a former miner who moved to the village after he retired, said: “They ain’t going to move this King. This King is staying put. It seems the Queen needs the money, but we aren’t moving anywhere else, not at our age.”

The couple were offered a property nearby but claimed it was rundown and the rent was far too high.

Paul Clarke, chief executive officer of The Duchy of Lancaster, said: “We have been working extremely hard to find the Kings a suitable alternative home, but this has not proved possible to date.

“Our agents made it clear to the Kings that they should not worry as nothing would be done if alternative housing had not been found or was not acceptable.

“There is absolutely no question of them having to leave their cottage. We have identified this part of the estate as a potential area for sale and we have issued a protective notice to quit in anticipation of this eventuality, but if we can’t find the Kings an alternative home they want to move to, then this cottage would be excluded in the sale.

"I apologise if the Kings have been caused any undue concern but this is certainly not our intention.”

The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall.

It is held in trust for the Queen and is used to provide income for the use of the monarch. The Duchy of Cornwall provides income for the Prince of Wales.