Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could be entitled to nearly £500,000 compensation for giving up Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, bombshell letters suggested
03:25, 03 Dec 2025Updated 06:53, 03 Dec 2025
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could be entitled to £488,342.21 compensation(Image: AP)
An investigation is to be launched into the Crown Estate and leases it has granted for homes held by other members of the Royal Family after the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal.
MPs have demanded answers on Andrew’s lucrative rent deal for the Windsor mansion since King Charles decided to evict his younger brother. There was outrage when it emerged Andrew paid £1million for a 75-year lease of the Grade-II listed Royal Lodge mansion in 2003, and since then, he paid “one peppercorn” of rent “if demanded” per year.
In contrast, the Prince and Princess of Wales, who moved into their property with their children in the October half term, hold “a 20-year non-assignable lease with The Crown Estate for Forest Lodge, commencing 5 July 2025” and have “open market rent”. Details about Kate and William’s arrangement are included in an astonishing report into royal properties, which emerged on Tuesday. It revealed a string of bombshells, most of which concern Andrew.
The former prince could be entitled to £488,342.21 compensation for giving up the mansion in Windsor Great Park although the Crown Estate believes he will not receive a penny due to the state of the property. Below are the full list of key points you must know following the report;
READ MORE: Kate and William’s Forest Lodge lease exposed after Andrew probeREAD MORE: Princess Kate urged to allow brand new George move – ‘can’t be kept under lock and key’
Members of public walk near the entrance to the Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park(Image: AFP via Getty Images)Royal Lodge’s disrepair
The property in Berkshire is in such disrepair that Andrew could lose his £500,000 “compensation” for being booted out early. However, the disgraced former prince looks set to lose £500,000 after surrendering the lease on the property to go and live on the King’s private Sandringham estate after being stripped of his titles following revelations about his association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The report shows that if no end-of-tenancy repairs were required, Andrew would have been entitled to £488,342.21 for ending his tenancy on October 30, 2026. But the Crown Estate said that following an inspection of the property on November 12, it was thought unlikely that any compensation will be paid.
William and Kate’s ‘market rent’
The Prince and Princess of Wales pay “market rent” on their new eight-bedroom home, Forest Lodge. Prince William and Princess Kate were caught in the crossfire of the Crown Estate row, but the leaes of the properties – in the same park – are vastly different.
William and Kate hold a “a 20-year non-assignable lease with The Crown Estate for Forest Lodge, commencing 5 July 2025” and have “open market rent”.
After discussions with the Royal Household, the Crown Estate commissioners were asked to consider the lease of the Grade II-listed mansion for William and Kate for use as their “primary private residence”.
Prince and Princess of Wales pay ‘market rent’ on their new eight-bedroom home(Image: PA)Details about Edward and Sophie’s deal emerge
Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Ediburgh, had a fixed a deal in 2007 to pay £5million up front and then essentially live rent-free. They live at the huge 120-room Bagshot Park in Surrey.
The late Queen’s youngest son reportedly leased the Crown Estate home for 50 years in March 1998 for £50,000 per year, which rose to £90,000 per year after he paid £1.36million for renovations. It is believed his lease was extended in 2007 under a deal signed with this company, Eclipse Nominees Limited.
The Times now reports that he paid £5million upfront for a lease of 150 years – but now only pays a peppercorn rent. The newspaper also reports that there are also no conditions on any future sale of Edward’s lease – only that the new tenant must be able to pay for the upkeep of the vast property’s maintenance.
Andrew could remain in Royal Lodge for months
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has a legal right to stay in Royal Lodge until October next year, though is expected to be out much sooner. He is allowed to remain in the 30-room mansion until October 2026.
The lease claims that Andrew served a “Tenant’s Notice offering to Surrender the Lease” on The Crown Estate on October 30 2025, giving the minimum 12 months’ notice as per the terms of the lease.