Question marks continue to hover over the head of Prince Andrew since he relinquished his title, Duke of York, and the honours conferred upon him, on 17 October. The decision comes after a slew of scandals linking him to the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, emerged, including an unearthed email from 2011 which saw the King's brother allegedly tell Epstein: "I'm just as concerned for you! Don't worry about me! It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Otherwise, keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!!!!"
Having lost his titles, the former Duke of York continues to reside at Royal Lodge, a home owned by the Crown Estate, on the Windsor Home Park estate. Now, it has come to light on 21 October that the son of the late Queen and Prince Philip has not paid full rent on Royal Lodge for over 20 years. A copy of the leasehold agreement for Royal Lodge, which was obtained by The Times, revealed that while Andrew paid £1 million for the lease plus at least £7.5 million for refurbishments (which were completed in 2005), he has paid only "one peppercorn (if demanded)" in rent per year, since 2003.
© GettyWhat is peppercorn rent?
Peppercorn rent is a legal term describing the symbolic payment of rent by Prince Andrew to the Crown Estate. It is a nominal or token amount that satisfies the legal requirements of the contract stating that Andrew would pay rent on the property, but it is so low an amount that its function is more symbolic than anything else. The GOV UK website states that peppercorn rent "can occur, for example, where a tenant has paid a large premium."
© Shutterstock"It's fairly commonplace for royals to lease a property from the Crown Estate, and each one comes with a different contract," HELLO!'s Homes Editor, Rachel Avery, explains. "Sometimes the royals pay the going rental rate, like Prince William and Princess Kate will be at Forest Lodge, and other times they simply have to pay for the upkeep of the building. As Royal Lodge is a historical property, there will be a considerable bill for keeping it in working order, and this will be down to Prince Andrew to find the money for that."
Will Andrew stay at Royal Lodge?
At the moment, Prince Andrew is seemingly staying put where the Royal Lodge is concerned, despite suggestions he could move into the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's home, Frogmore Cottage. In an episode of HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast from 2024, royal author and documentary filmmaker Robert Hardman shared his thoughts on why the Prince has refused to leave the property. "Someone said to me the other day, he's got nothing else," Robert said. "He's got no public life. He has no public role. And he's clearly devoted to this home, and he likes being there. So, if he can make it work, he's going to try."
© GettyHowever, that isn't to say that there isn't a clause relating to the eventuality where Andrew gave up the lease. According to The Times, a clause states that the Crown Estate, which manages Crown properties for the benefit of the taxpayer, would need to pay him around £558,000 if he gave up the lease, while a "compensatory sum" of £185,865 a year would be due to Andrew until 2028, year 25 of the agreement.
© GettyThe home has significant sentimental value for the prince as both of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, hosted evening receptions there following their weddings. Beatrice married British luxury property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020, while Eugenie wed marketing executive Jack Brooksbank in 2018.
