Prince Andrew is reportedly in advanced discussions with King Charles's senior aides about vacating the Royal Lodge, following a week of intense scrutiny over his 'peppercorn' rent arrangement. The 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park has become a focal point of controversy due to Andrew's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the posthumous publication of memoirs by his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.
The public accounts committee has confirmed it is writing to the Crown Estate and the Treasury after it emerged that Andrew paid £1 million for the lease in 2003 and undertook £7.5 million in refurbishment costs, but has since paid only a nominal 'one peppercorn' rent per year if demanded. Buckingham Palace is reportedly increasing pressure on the prince to leave voluntarily, as he cannot be evicted due to a 'cast iron' lease running until 2078.
According to the Telegraph, discussions over Andrew's living arrangements have been held daily since the revelations. While he initially resisted, insisting on his right to stay, negotiations continue with a growing sense that he will eventually move out. Royal sources have noted a 'renewed determination' to force him out. Should he leave, under the lease terms, he would be entitled to £558,000.
The question remains where Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who also resides at Royal Lodge, would go. It is unclear how Andrew would pay rent elsewhere, as the King is understood to have withdrawn financial support last year. The controversy follows Andrew's announcement last week that he would voluntarily relinquish his titles and honours, including Duke of York, which remain extant but inactive. Calls for their full removal would require legislation.
Andrew's decision came after it emerged he had emailed Epstein in 2011 saying 'we're in this together', three months after claiming he had broken off contact. The revelations coincided with the publication of Giuffre's memoir, in which she repeated allegations of being forced to have sex with Andrew three times, which he denies. Andrew settled a civil assault case with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, with no admission of liability. Giuffre died by suicide in April at age 41.
