MPs want clarity over Prince Andrew’s ‘peppercorn’ rent at Royal Lodge | Prince Andrew
Politicians are demanding clarity over Prince Andrew’s “pepper” rent at Royal Lodge, as the parliamentary spending watchdog demands an explanation from the Treasury and the royal estate.
Keir Starmer said he was open to MPs questioning Andrew personally about his home in Windsor Great Park, where he has lived for more than 20 years.
Now the public accounts select committee (PAC), chaired by senior Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has asked the Treasury and the royal estate to provide a status on the lease of the 30-room property and explain the rationale behind it by November 28.
Andrew has leased the Royal Lodge from the Crown Estate, the UK state’s property empire, since 2003 after making a one-off payment of £1 million to lease the property for 75 years. It has since paid £7.5 million to refurbish the building.
He appears to have paid the “pepper” rent, a legal term used in leases to indicate that the rent technically exists and therefore the lease is valid; but the figure is usually as low as £1 per year. Andrew lives at this property with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
“There is considerable and understandable public interest in the expenditure of public money in relation to Prince Andrew, which is partly driven by the fact that he is no longer a working royal and the serious and disturbing allegations made against him,” Clifton-Brown wrote.
The letter, published on Wednesday, also questions whether the cost of any work on the property will be covered by the taxpayer and whether an unredacted copy of the lease can be provided.
The advance comes after new allegations were made about the prince in a posthumous memoir by Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, who said she had sex with Andrew on three separate occasions. He denied these allegations.
“In light of Prince Andrew’s recently changed role, does the current tenancy continue to be the most appropriate use of the Royal Lodge and, if so, on what grounds?” Clifton-Brown wrote.
“Therefore, in light of recent developments and changes to Prince Andrew’s responsibilities, we are concerned about whether the lease arrangements for the Royal Lodge provide the best value for money.
“They must also be justifiable compared to other options for the use or disposal of the property.”
Andrew is said to be in talks with King Charles’ representatives about voluntarily leaving the estate following renewed controversy over his links to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. If Andrew is forced to leave the mansion, the royal estate may have to pay him compensation.
The Treasury and the crown estate have been contacted for comment.
