Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been granted £302,000 in compensation after his lease on his former Royal Lodge home in Windsor was officially surrendered, a Crown Estate spokesperson said on Friday.
The former Duke of York, 66, was evicted from his former home in Windsor Great Park last year due to scrutiny over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and was stripped of his remaining titles by King Charles.
Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, lived at the Grade II-listed 30-room Royal Lodge for nearly two decades, paying a "peppercorn" sum in rent.
He has since relocated to Marsh Farm, a five-bedroom home on King Charles's Sandringham Estate, where he lives in effective exile from public life.
© Getty ImagesWhy has Andrew been granted compensation?
A Crown Estate spokesperson said the former prince paid £1.8 million in repair and restoration costs as the lease was handed back more than 50 years early.
Andrew was entitled to compensation because, as per the terms of his lease, he surrendered it within the first 25 years.
The Crown Estate spokesperson said: "The lease for Royal Lodge has ended and our focus now is firmly on its future use and the opportunities to generate additional financial value for the nation from its early return."
© Getty ImagesHowever, in December last year, the Crown Estate told MPs it was not believed Andrew would receive compensation for the early surrender of the lease once repair and restoration costs were taken into account.
In the letter to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, the Crown Estate added: “Before this position can be fully validated, however, a full and thorough assessment must be undertaken post-occupation by an expert in dilapidation”.
A compensation clause was added into the terms of the lease because of Andrew’s 2005 payment of £7.5 million for refurbishment at the 30-room property, the spokesperson added.
Speaking on A Right Royal Podcast previously, HELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash explained: "Andrew could still receive hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation for having left Royal Lodge before the end of his lease. That is something that I think will really upset people given everything that has gone on."
However, she explained that any amount would depend on the state the property had been left in. Royal Lodge was widely reported to be in disrepair after its upkeep was neglected by Andrew, with pictures showing peeling paint on its exterior and "issues needing fixing".
© Getty Images"It just shows this problem isn't going away," Emily said.
In June, a National Audit Office investigation revealed that the late Queen’s second son received an undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on the Royal Lodge estate while paying a peppercorn rent for more than two decades.
The Crown Estate spokesperson said the property will now be marketed by two nationally recognised agents for its proposed future use.
Andrew's police action latest
This comes after it was revealed that the disgraced former Prince is taking legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest in February, alleging that "personal items" were taken from his home.
© REUTERS/Phil NobleA hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday saw both sides reach an agreement that the search warrants that allowed officers to raid two of his properties earlier this year were unlawful.
However, the criminal probe into whether he is guilty of misconduct in public office during his time as UK trade envoy will continue.
