Parliament's spending watchdog has written to the Treasury and the Crown Estate demanding clarity over Prince Andrew's 'peppercorn' rent at Royal Lodge. The Public Accounts Select Committee (PAC), chaired by Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has asked for details on the lease of the 30-room property in Windsor Great Park by 28 November.
Prince Andrew has leased Royal Lodge from the Crown Estate since 2003 after making a one-off payment of £1 million for a 75-year lease. He is understood to pay a nominal 'peppercorn' rent, often as low as £1 per year, and has spent £7.5 million on refurbishments. He lives there with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
In a letter published on Wednesday, Clifton-Brown stated: 'There is considerable and understandable public interest in the spending of public money in relation to Prince Andrew, which in part stems from the fact that he is no longer a working royal and from serious and disturbing allegations made against him.' The letter also questions whether taxpayer funds were used for any work on the property and requests an unredacted copy of the lease.
The move follows fresh allegations in the posthumous memoir of Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she had sex with Andrew on three occasions. He has denied these allegations. The PAC is concerned whether the lease arrangements 'are, in light of recent developments and changes in the responsibilities of Prince Andrew, achieving the best value for money.'
Andrew is reportedly in talks with King Charles's representatives about leaving the property voluntarily. If forced to leave, the Crown Estate may have to pay him compensation. A Treasury spokesperson said: 'The Crown Estate is an organisation independent of both the government and the monarch. We will respond to Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown in due course.'
