A sweeping parliamentary investigation into the Royal Family's property holdings has been triggered by Prince Andrew's refusal to relinquish his Windsor mansion. The probe, likened to 'opening Pandora's box', will examine secret rental deals and cut-price arrangements for homes worth billions.
The Siege That Sparked a Scandal
It began with Prince Andrew's dogged determination to remain in the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge within Windsor Great Park. His reluctance to acknowledge public disapproval over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, and his subsequent ignoring of suggestions to scale back his living arrangements, set events in motion. This stance, dubbed the 'Siege of Royal Lodge', persisted until public anger made his departure inevitable.
Now, the entire extended Royal Family faces the consequences. MPs on the cross-party public accounts committee have announced an unprecedented full investigation into the Crown Estate's royal property portfolio and how it is financed. For the first time, secret rental deals, peppercorn charging arrangements, and lifetime leases at a fraction of market rents are set to be revealed.
Properties Under the Microscope
The scandal over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's living arrangements raised broader questions about the financing of homes for other royals. After being stripped of his titles in October, it was revealed he had paid a 'one peppercorn' rent for years for Royal Lodge, owned by the Crown Estate, after a £1 million upfront payment and £7.5 million in renovations.
The inquiry will now scrutinise several key properties:
The Prince and Princess of Wales's new family home, Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, for which they hold a 20-year lease at an 'open market rent'. The exact figure, assessed by top estate agents, remains undisclosed.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's 120-room Bagshot Park. Prince Edward paid a £5 million premium in 2007 for a 150-year lease, allowing the couple to live there essentially rent-free.
Princess Alexandra's Thatched House Lodge in Richmond Park, where complex lease arrangements suggest she pays around £225 per month.
The investigation will not include privately owned residences like the King's Highgrove House or Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park, nor grace-and-favour homes. It focuses solely on properties under the Crown Estate's wing: Royal Lodge, Bagshot Park, Forest Lodge, The Cottage in Windsor Great Park, and Thatched House Lodge.
Broader Implications and Royal Fallout
The Crown Estate, which operates with commercial objectives to maximise value for the public purse, confirmed a preliminary inspection found Royal Lodge in such disrepair that Andrew is unlikely to receive any of the £488,342 compensation he might have been due for an early lease surrender. He has offered to leave by October 2025 and is expected to move to a property on the King's Sandringham estate.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward stated this inquiry represents 'the opening of Pandora's box', predicting sweeping changes for how the royals live. She suggested the Prince and Princess of Wales would 'be blaming Andrew for this, and quite rightly so'.
The probe seeks to determine whether taxpayers' interests have been properly protected in these financial arrangements. With the Crown Estate's profits funding the Sovereign Grant—set at £132 million this year—the transparency of these deals is now a matter of significant public and parliamentary concern.
