Prince Andrew will need to pay for the maintenance and security of his residence, Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor, in order to continue living there, according to BBC sources. He currently benefits from subsidies provided by King Charles III and the Royal Family, but these are expected to cease. Prince Andrew has a lease with the Crown Estate until 2078, but he must become self-financing to meet the requirements of maintaining the 19th Century listed property.
The “Siege of Royal Lodge” is expected to increase with the release of a new Amazon film next week examining Andrew’s 2019 Newsnight interview and his links to Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex trafficking charges. Sources suggest that moving to a smaller property such as Frogmore Cottage is driven more by long-term financial planning than any disputes with his family, given that the prince is now in his sixties and needs to plan for affordable accommodation for the next two decades.
If the prince can pay for the high costs of maintaining and securing a large building such as Royal Lodge, he can stay. Otherwise, he must find alternative accommodation. If the prince moves, Royal Lodge could be rented out as a commercial asset by the Crown Estate. Andrew signed a 75-year lease on the property in 2003, paying more than £7.5m for repairs to the property, with the Crown Estate initially preferring to lease it to him as a paying tenant.
The lease agreement prevents Andrew from making financial gains from any increase in the property’s value, and only his daughters or widow could subsequently be assigned the lease. If he leaves the property, the lease would revert to the Crown Estate. Andrew has only four years left to claim compensation for his payment of repairs, but with the high cost of maintaining the property and paying for security, he is under increasing public pressure to find a more long-term living arrangement
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
