Britain’s Prince Andrew has once again triggered “tremendous public disgust” after it emerged that the disgraced royal has been living in luxury rent-free for the past 22 years.
Andrew recently relinquished his title as the Duke of York amid ongoing accusations tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Now, King Charles III’s brother is facing new scrutiny after reports revealed he has lived rent-free in his 30-room Royal Lodge home in Windsor for more than two decades.
According to The Times, which obtained the leasehold agreement, Andrew paid £1 million ($1.33M) for the lease and invested another £7.5 million ($10M) in refurbishments completed in 2005.
Since 2003, the disgraced royal has paid just “one peppercorn (if demanded)” per year in rent.
The lease allows Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, to occupy the residence until 2078.
If he were to give up the lease early, The Times reports that The Crown Estate would owe him compensation of roughly £185,865 ($248K) per year until 2028, totaling more than £550,000 ($667K).
Buckingham Palace has not commented publicly on the arrangement.
Public Outrage Over “Rent-Free Royalty”
Royal experts say the revelation has fueled widespread anger among Britons struggling with high living costs under the socialist Labour Party government.
In a statement, royal commentator Hilary Fordwich said:
“There is tremendous public disgust regarding his living basically rent-free for 22 years.
“But that lease was from his mother, and it runs for an extensive period of time.
“Highly doubt he can legally be evicted.
“My prediction is that he’ll face immense pressure from within the monarchy — likely from Prince William — to leave.
“Wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up somewhere in the Middle East.”
Another royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, said that while the optics are “terrible,” the lease is legally binding.
“The lease gives him 75 years,” Fitzwilliams said.
“Providing he can fulfill its terms, which involve refurbishing it periodically, he cannot legally be evicted despite the terrible optics of him and Sarah Ferguson living in a 30-room mansion, both of them in disgrace, in Windsor.”
Fitzwilliams added that since the late Queen Elizabeth II stopped funding Andrew’s security and allowances in 2019, “there are no levers the king can use to enforce this.”
Palace Connections and Funding Questions
Despite Andrew’s claim that his finances are independent, multiple reports have alleged that King Charles has personally covered his brother’s expenses.
The Mail on Sunday previously reported that Charles was the “secret source” paying Andrew’s rent at Royal Lodge.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, supported that claim.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that Charles is the one providing the money for Andrew,” Seward said in a statement.
“When the king dies or the queen dies, the money goes to the next monarch.
“Everything goes to the next monarch.
“So, she [the late Queen Elizabeth II] either would have made provisions for Andrew before she died, or she would’ve made provisions through Charles.”
Charlotte Griffiths, editor-at-large for the Mail on Sunday, cited “multiple sources” confirming that the king “has personally cleared his errant brother’s bills for his upkeep and promised his Royal Lodge woes would be taken care of.”
The Royal Lodge estate is estimated to be worth around $38 million.
Renewed Calls for Accountability Amid Epstein Fallout
The controversy reignited public attention on Andrew’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, following new claims by Virginia Giuffre’s family.
Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her as a teenager while she was trafficked by Epstein, reached a confidential settlement with him in 2022, reportedly valued between $6 million and $16 million.
Andrew denied the allegations, claiming he never met Giuffre and suggesting that a widely circulated photo of them may have been fabricated.
Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, recently called for British authorities to reopen investigations.
“I think the U.K. has documentation that supports bringing people to justice — including Prince Andrew,” Roberts said on ITV’s This Morning.
“Just because you have the word ‘Prince’ in front of your name doesn’t mean there’s a different set of laws for you.”
“Everybody needs to be held to the same standard,” he added.
“If ‘Prince’ wasn’t in front of his name, he would be behind bars right now.”
Andrew’s Statement
As excerpts from Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, “Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice,” began circulating, Andrew released a statement through Buckingham Palace announcing he would permanently step back from public life and relinquish his remaining royal honors.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew said.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first.”
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further.
“I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors which have been conferred upon me.
“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
The Monarchy’s Ongoing Crisis
The Royal Family continues to battle public skepticism as revelations about Andrew’s finances, his Epstein ties, and the taxpayer-funded upkeep of his residence add new layers of controversy to an already damaged institution.
While King Charles has sought to modernize the monarchy and distance the Crown from scandal, his brother’s lingering rent-free and defiant presence at Royal Lodge remains a public relations nightmare for the palace.
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