His Majesty King Charles III is facing a public inquiry next year, looking into the lease agreement drawn up between the Crown Estate and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for him to live at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Andrew has been asked to vacate the property before the agreement is up, due to his links with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and ongoing controversy, and he is set to depart in 2026. However, the exact arrangements between the Crown Estate and Andrew are still under scrutiny.
PA Media has reported that a Commons committee is set to launch an inquiry into the Crown Estate.
© ShutterstockOn Tuesday, the Public Accounts Committee published letters from the Crown Estate and the Treasury, responding to queries about the royal arrangements.
Committee chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: "We would like to thank The Crown Estate Commissioners and HM Treasury for their considered responses to our questions.
"In publishing these responses, the Public Accounts Committee fulfils one of its primary purposes – to aid transparency in public-interest information, as part of its overall mission to secure value for money for the taxpayer.
© Anadolu via Getty Images"Having reflected on what we have received, the information provided clearly forms the beginnings of a basis for an inquiry. The National Audit Office supports the scrutiny function of this Committee.
"We now await the conclusions the NAO will draw from this information, and plan to hold an inquiry based on the resulting evidence base in the new year."
© Getty ImagesWill Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor get compensation after leaving Royal Lodge?
As the Crown Estate is technically breaking the lease by asking Andrew to leave the property, there could have been a case for compensation. However, it has been reported that he is "unlikely" to receive any compensation for giving up his residence because of the extensive repairs that have racked up at the dilapidated 30-room mansion.
In a briefing to MPs on the Public Accounts Committee, the Crown Estate said: "Our initial assessment is that while the extent of end of tenancy dilapidations and repairs required are not out of keeping with a tenancy of this duration, they will mean in all likelihood that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not be owed any compensation for early surrender of the lease… once dilapidations are taken into account."
© Getty ImagesThe Crown Estate said: "Before this position can be fully validated however, a full and thorough assessment must be undertaken post-occupation by an expert in dilapidation."
If these repairs were not required, the King's brother could have been in for a windfall of £488,342.21, as his tenancy would officially cease 30 October 2026, after giving notice on 30 October 2025.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is a body that regulates the Crown Estate, which is an independent commercial business, the assets of which are owned by the monarch, which is currently Charles.
There could be an issue that Andrew was only asked to pay Peppercorn rent and not the full market rate.
Where is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor going to live now?
© Getty ImagesHELLO! understands that Andrew will move to a property on the Sandringham Estate. It is likely that this location was a choice because it's an estate privately owned by King Charles, so his brother will come under less heat for taking up residence there.
© Getty ImagesHELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash shares her reaction to Andrew's "remarkable fall" on The Royal Club and shares her predictions on the former Prince's next moves, including his "exile" to Sandringham, what Sarah Ferguson will do next and what will come of Andrew's place in the line of succession. Click on the link below to read now.
There has been lots of speculation surrounding which of the many homes on the estate will be occupied by the disgraced royal. People wondered if Park House, Gardens House and The Folly were options but there's one property that stands above the others as the most likely future home for Andrew.
Formerly known as Bachelor's Cottage, York Cottage seems to fit the bill for the former Prince. It features its own set of stables and overlooks a beautiful lake. So, although it may be a downgrade from the grandeur of Royal Lodge, it will still be pretty impressive.
