Prince Andrew thinks King Charles is trying to make him leave his home, Royal Lodge, because the King wants to give it to Queen Camilla. Andrew refuses to move out of the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle, where he has lived rent-free for 20 years, even though some MPs want him to move somewhere smaller.
Andrew says he has a legal lease that allows him to stay and that his brother cannot force him out. He lost his Duke of York title after scandals involving Jeffrey Epstein and alleged links with Chinese spies. Now, Parliament may investigate how he got to keep the house without paying rent.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, head of a Commons committee, said he will ask the Treasury and the Crown Estate about the lease details to see if further action is needed. Reports say the King has wanted Andrew to move out for a while, and recent news that Andrew pays no rent has added pressure.
Friends say Andrew believes the King wants the house for Queen Camilla, so she would have a home in Windsor if she outlives him, like the Queen Mother did after King George VI’s death. Palace staff deny this, saying Camilla prefers her own home, Ray Mill House, in Wiltshire.
Andrew insists he has every right to stay. He paid £1 million for a 75-year lease in 2003 and spent £7.5 million renovating the house himself. He argues that this saved taxpayers money because he covers all maintenance costs.
However, MPs say it’s still unfair for him to live rent-free. It was also revealed that his lease states his rent is “one peppercorn if demanded,” meaning he practically pays nothing.
