King Charles is expected to press ahead with efforts to persuade his brother, Prince Andrew, to vacate Royal Lodge — the 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park that the disgraced royal
has occupied rent-free for more than two decades.
The discussions come amid mounting calls in Westminster for greater transparency over royal finances, following revelations that Andrew has paid no rent since signing a 75-year lease in 2003. He initially paid £1 million upfront and reportedly spent at least £7.5 million refurbishing the £30 million property. Under the terms of the lease with the Crown Estate, Andrew’s annual rent is limited to a token “peppercorn” payment, if demanded, until 2078.
While his running costs are believed to be around £600,000 a year, Andrew’s current sources of income remain unclear. The prince, who stepped back from royal duties following his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is thought to have overseas business links, but questions persist over how he maintains his lifestyle.
Andrew is not alone in occupying Crown Estate properties under long leases. Other royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at Bagshot Park and Princess Alexandra at Thatched House Lodge, hold similar arrangements. The Crown Estate, which made £1.1 billion in profit last year, declined to comment on specific leases but said it would cooperate with Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee if requested.
“We would work openly with the committee as an independent commercial business with a statutory obligation to manage property for the benefit of the nation,” a spokesperson said.
The scrutiny arrives at a sensitive moment for the royal family. Prince William’s forthcoming move to Forest Lodge, another Crown Estate property in Windsor, has already led to the closure of public parkland and new taxpayer-funded security measures — a move criticised by local residents and environmental groups.
Andrew currently shares Royal Lodge with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and is likely to seek compensation if forced to move. He is expected to want a smaller residence near his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and their families. Options within Windsor are being considered, as royal aides are reportedly keen to keep him out of the public eye but within secure grounds.
“I think London is too public,” said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. “The royal household would want him to be as invisible as possible, ideally within an existing security perimeter.”
The controversy has revived debate over the Crown Estate’s role and the broader question of royal privilege. Some MPs now argue that the arm’s-length property company — which generates income for the Treasury — may be part of a system that provides subsidised housing for senior royals, obscuring the true cost of the monarchy.
Former ministers have criticised the lack of transparency. “There’s no transparency,” said Labour peer Lady Margaret Hodge, a long-standing advocate for parliamentary oversight of royal finances. Her colleague, former Lib Dem minister Norman Baker, said scrutiny of royal spending has declined since 2012, when the Sovereign Grant linked royal funding directly to Crown Estate profits.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Conservative chair of the Public Accounts Committee, has now written to the Crown Estate seeking details of Andrew’s lease, though it remains unclear whether the issue will lead to a formal inquiry.
For now, the King faces a delicate balancing act — tightening royal accountability while managing a family dispute that continues to cast a shadow over the monarchy. Photo by Thorne1983, Wikimedia commons.