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Politicians are demanding clarity over Prince Andrew’s “peppercorn” rent at Royal Lodge, as the parliamentary spending watchdog writes to the Treasury and crown estate asking for an explanation.
Keir Starmer had indicated that he was open to MPs questioning Andrew in person about his home in Windsor Great Park, where he has lived for more than 20 years.
Now, the public accounts select committee (PAC), chaired by veteran Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has asked the Treasury and the crown estate to provide details on the 30-room property’s lease and explain the rationale behind it by 28 November.
Andrew has leased Royal Lodge from the UK state’s property empire, the crown estate, since 2003, after making a one-off payment of £1m to lease the property for 75 years. He has since paid £7.5m in refurbishments to the building.
He is understood to be paying “peppercorn” rent, which is a legal term used in leases to show that rent technically exists, so the lease is valid – but the figure is often low, such as £1 per year. Andrew lives at the property with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
“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,” wrote Clifton-Brown.
The letter, which was published on Wednesday, also questions whether the cost of any work on the property had been funded by the taxpayer, and whether an unredacted copy of the lease could be provided.
This advancement comes after fresh allegations about the prince in the posthumous memoir by the Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, who said she had sex with Andrew on three separate occasions. He has denied these allegations.
“Does the current tenancy remain the most appropriate use of the Royal Lodge in light of the recent changed role for Prince Andrew, and if so, on what grounds?” wrote Clifton-Brown.
“We are therefore concerned as to whether the lease arrangements for Royal Lodge are, in light of recent developments and changes in the responsibilities of Prince Andrew, achieving the best value for money.
“They must also be justifiable in comparison to other options for the use or disposal of the property.”
Andrew is said to be in talks with King Charles’s representatives about leaving the property voluntarily after renewed controversy over his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. If Andrew were forced to leave the mansion, the crown estate may have to pay him compensation.
The Treasury and the crown estate have been contacted for comment.
