Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has received £302,000 in compensation following the official surrender of his lease on the former Royal Lodge residence in Windsor.
Lease surrendered decades early
According to a Crown Estate spokesperson, the former prince contributed £1.8 million towards repair and restoration works as the lease was relinquished more than half a century ahead of schedule.
Andrew qualified for the compensation payment because, under the conditions of his lease agreement, he gave it up within the initial 25-year period.
Official statement and next steps
The Crown Estate spokesperson stated: "The lease for Royal Lodge has ended and our focus now is firmly on its future use and the opportunities to generate additional financial value for the nation from its early return."
The Crown Estate spokesperson said the property will now be marketed by two nationally recognised agents for its proposed future use.
Background to the move
The former Duke of York moved out of the Windsor mansion earlier this year as files related to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein were released by the US Department of Justice.
He was forced to move into Marsh Farm on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, amid public outcry about the rent he paid on the Royal Lodge.
In June, a National Audit Office investigation revealed that the late Queen’s second son received an undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on the Royal Lodge estate while paying a peppercorn rent for more than two decades.
