London, 3 December (H.S.):

Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor is expected to walk away from Royal Lodge without any compensation despite an early exit clause in his 75‑year lease, according to evidence sent by the Crown Estate to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Officials told MPs that although the former prince could in theory have claimed about £488,000 for surrendering the lease early, the mansion’s “dilapidations and repairs” are so extensive that, once costs are deducted, he is “highly unlikely” to be owed anything.

Lease Terms And New Inquiry

Andrew took on the 30‑room Royal Lodge in 2003, paying more than £8.5 million up front to fund renovations and effectively pre‑pay rent, plus a nominal peppercorn payment based on a notional annual rent of around £260,000, with a clause allowing partial reimbursement if he left within 25 years and kept the property in good condition.

The Crown Estate disclosed that he served notice to quit on 30 October 2025, the day his remaining titles were stripped, triggering a 12‑month period in which he can legally stay at the house, though he is widely expected to move to smaller accommodation on King Charles’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk early next year.

Political Pressure And Royal Fallout

PAC chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton‑Brown said the new information “clearly” lays the groundwork for a formal inquiry next year into Crown Estate leases with members of the Royal Family, including whether taxpayer interests were adequately protected in Andrew’s arrangement.

Andrew, 65, already under intense public and political pressure over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and now styled simply as Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor, faces further scrutiny as US lawmakers continue to press him to give evidence to a congressional investigation into Epstein’s network.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar