Lawmakers question decades-old lease that lets Duke live rent-free in £30m Windsor estate
Prince Andrew is facing mounting pressure to repay millions after new reports revealed he has lived virtually rent-free at his sprawling 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor for more than two decades.
Documents show that under the terms of his 2003 lease with the Crown Estate, the Duke of York pays an annual rent of just “one peppercorn (if demanded).” The arrangement, described by critics as overly generous, has sparked calls for a parliamentary investigation into whether such favourable terms are appropriate for a non-working royal.
According to The Times, Andrew paid £1 million to secure the lease and spent a further £7.5 million on refurbishments completed in 2005. The deal grants him and his family the right to occupy the Grade II-listed property until 2078, provided he covers maintenance costs.
Dame Meg Hillier, Chairwoman of the Treasury Committee, said Parliament has a duty to scrutinise the agreement. “Where money flows, particularly where taxpayers’ money or interests are involved, Parliament has a responsibility to shine a light on that,” she told the Today programme.
Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart went further, calling on Andrew to repay what she described as decades of unpaid rent. “He should show some contrition by returning every penny of rent that he’s not paid while disgracing his office,” she said.
The revelations have intensified debate over Andrew’s place within the Royal Family and the privileges he continues to enjoy despite being stripped of his public duties. One insider described Royal Lodge as the Duke’s “last status symbol” — and the growing political backlash suggests even that may now be under threat.
