Prince Andrew faces mounting pressure to give up his 30-bedroom Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor after it emerged he has paid just "peppercorn rent" on the property for more than 20 years. The lease agreement shows Andrew pays "one peppercorn" per year "if demanded" since signing a 75-year lease in 2003.
Senior Conservative Robert Jenrick (Conservative) said it was "about time Prince Andrew took himself off to live in private" as "the public are sick of him". He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "He has disgraced himself, he has embarrassed the royal family time and again. I don't see why the taxpayer, frankly, should continue to foot the bill at all."
Lease details revealed
The Crown Estate lease agreement shows Andrew paid £1 million for the lease and a further £7.5 million for refurbishments completed in 2005. Under the terms, the Crown Estate would have to pay Andrew around £558,000 if he gave up the lease.
Profits from the Crown Estate are handed to the Treasury for the nation's finances, raising concerns the public could be deprived of potential funds due to the minimal rent. Parliamentary committees including the Commons Treasury Committee and Public Accounts Committee could investigate the Crown Estate's handling of the arrangement.
Parliamentary scrutiny looms
Dame Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Treasury Committee, said: "Where money flows, particularly where taxpayers' money is involved, or taxpayers' interests are involved, Parliament has a responsibility to have a light shine upon that, and we need to have answers." Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart said Andrew "should show some contrition by returning every penny of rent that he's not paid while disgracing his office".
Andrew announced on Friday that he has given up use of his royal titles and honours amid intensified focus on his links with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The announcement came days before publication of his accuser Virginia Giuffre's book "Nobody's Girl".
Giuffre's response
Co-writer of "Nobody's Girl" Amy Wallace told BBC Newsnight that Giuffre would have welcomed Andrew's relinquishing of his titles. "I know that she would view it as a victory that he was forced by whatever means to voluntarily give them up," Wallace said.
Giuffre's brother and sister-in-law, Sky and Amanda Roberts, have called on the police watchdog to review the Metropolitan Police's decision not to continue investigations into her allegations against Andrew. They urged the Independent Office for Police Conduct to review the decision if police would not reopen the probe into Giuffre's claim she was forced to have sex with Andrew when aged 17.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
