Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, pays only a nominal 'peppercorn rent' for his 120-room mansion at Bagshot Park in Surrey, according to reports. The 51-acre property, which he shares with his wife Sophie, is leased from the Crown Estate under terms that allow him to pay a minimal rent after an upfront payment.
The Times reported that under a lease extension signed in 2007, Edward paid £5 million upfront for a 150-year lease, with annual rent set at a peppercorn—a symbolic amount to satisfy legal requirements. This arrangement was also noted by The Guardian last month. Edward initially leased the property in 1998 for 50 years at £5,000 a year, which later rose to £90,000 annually after he contributed £1.36 million toward renovations.
The lease terms, which are heavily redacted in Land Registry documents, make it impossible to confirm whether Edward continues to pay market rent. Unlike Prince Andrew's lease for Royal Lodge, Edward's lease contains no restrictions on who can inherit the property, meaning he could potentially profit from selling the lease, provided the new tenant can afford maintenance costs.
Campaigners have questioned whether Edward, 15th in line to the throne, can justify occupying a property that could otherwise generate revenue for the Crown Estate and taxpayers. The Ministry of Defence returned Bagshot Park to the Crown Estate in 1996, and two commercial proposals—for a conference facility and a hotel—were rejected before the estate leased it to Edward.
HELLO!'s Homes Editor Rachel Avery noted that such arrangements are 'fairly commonplace' for royals, with contracts varying widely. Some royals pay market rent, while others cover only upkeep costs, as is the case for Prince Andrew at Royal Lodge.
