Prince Andrew is reportedly in advanced talks with senior aides to King Charles about moving out of Royal Lodge, following a week in which his tenancy has come under scrutiny.
The public accounts committee has confirmed it is writing to the crown estate and the Treasury after it emerged Andrew paid £1m for the lease in 2003 and was required to undertake £7.5m refurbishment costs, but has since paid a "peppercorn" rent, if demanded, per year. Buckingham Palace is trying to increase pressure on the prince to voluntarily give up the residence, which he cannot be evicted from due to a "cast iron" lease with the crown estate.
The Telegraph reported that discussions over his living arrangements had been held daily since the revelations earlier this week. While Andrew's initial response had been to dig his heels in, negotiations were continuing with a growing sense of inevitability that he would move out. Royal sources had seen a "renewed determination" to force him out, the paper added. Downing Street said on Thursday that MPs would not be given time in the House of Commons to discuss Andrew's situation because the royal family wished parliament to focus on "important issues".
King Charles is understood to have tried to persuade his brother for some time to move. Should he be forced out of Royal Lodge, under the terms of the lease he would be entitled to £558,000. There is also the question of where he, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who also resides there, would go. It is not known how he would pay rent as it is unclear how he derives income, and the king is understood to have withdrawn financial support last year.
The royal family sought to draw a line under the Epstein controversy when Andrew announced last week he would voluntarily relinquish use of his titles and honours. His announcement came after he consulted with the king and the Prince of Wales when it emerged he had emailed Epstein in 2011. It also came just days before the publication of Virginia Giuffre's memoir, in which she repeated allegations of sexual assault, which Andrew vehemently denies. He paid millions to settle a civil assault case with her in 2022 with no admission of liability. Giuffre died by suicide aged 41 in April.
