Officials have revealed that the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, could be forced to walk away from his Windsor home, Royal Lodge, without receiving a penny in compensation. The reason is the property's poor state of repair, which is likely to completely consume the near half-million-pound sum he was due for surrendering his lease early.
Lease Surrender Reveals Shocking State of Disrepair
An internal inspection carried out on 12 November uncovered significant 'dilapidations and repairs required' at the 30-room mansion. A report concluded that, as a result, 'in all likelihood Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not be owed any compensation for early surrender of the lease'.
Andrew has lived at the grandiose property, set within 98 acres of Windsor Great Park, for two decades under an extraordinarily favourable lease. He paid just 'one peppercorn (if demanded) per annum' in rent, effectively living there for free.
MPs Launch Probe into Royal Property Deals
The condition of Royal Lodge came to light as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) announced a major investigation into all royal properties managed by the Crown Estate. The probe will examine whether taxpayers are getting value for money.
PAC Chairman, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, stated that information received from the Crown Estate and the Treasury 'clearly forms the beginnings of a basis for an inquiry'. The National Audit Office will now review the evidence, with a full inquiry planned for the new year.
The committee had previously challenged the Crown Estate to justify the 'peppercorn rent' arrangement, especially since Andrew no longer serves as a working royal and faces serious allegations. They questioned whether he had maintained the property without public funds and if any taxpayer money had been used for repairs that were his responsibility.
Final Months at Windsor Before Sandringham Exile
Despite the controversy, Andrew can remain at Royal Lodge for almost another year. He served notice to surrender the lease on 30 October, giving the required 12 months' notice. During this period, he remains legally responsible for all maintenance and repair costs.
Following a public outcry, the disgraced royal is set to move into exile at the Sandringham estate in the New Year, allowing him one final Christmas at Windsor. Sandringham, being the monarch's private estate, enables his future living arrangements to be handled and funded entirely privately.
This move comes after Andrew was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages, and ceased to use his 'His Royal Highness' style in an official capacity earlier this year.
