Royal Lodge disrepair means Prince Andrew will lose out on $1m compensation, report finds

Prince Andrew’s decades-long tenancy at the Royal Lodge has backfired spectacularly as the dilapidated condition of the property and the deadline for his exit is revealed.

Former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is not likely to receive a compensation payout for leaving the Royal Lodge due to the state of the property.

UK’s Public Accounts Committee published a new report on the Crown Estate to update MPs on the situation.

The report stated in “all likelihood” Andrew “will not be owed any compensation.”

The terms of the 75-year-lease Andrew voluntarily gave up state he could be entitled close to $1m.

The report notes the condition of Andrew’s abode is “not out of keeping with a tenancy of this duration”, but due to the anticipated cost of fixing the “dilapidations” he would be unlikely to see any of the compensation cheque.

The former prince Andrew is moving to Sandringham. Picture: AP

A letter from Crown Estate commissioners to MPs said the lease was “fair, reasonable and in line with market practice.”

Andrew vacated the property due to a fallout over his alleged connections to dead US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and revelations he was required to pay only a “peppercorn” in rent, meaning the British Treasury was potentially being deprived of income.

Committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said this new information “clearly forms the beginnings of a basis for an inquiry”, which he said will encompass the Crown Estate and property leases held by members of the royal family.

The report also shows Andrew gave one year notice to vacate on October 30 – the same day it was announced he was being stripped of his titles.

While this means he could theoretically live there until October 2026, it is believed he is moving to Sandringham in the new year.

Andrew is believed to be leaving Royal Lodge sooner rather than later. Picture: Getty Images

The report also gives a glimpse into the arrangement Prince William and Princess Catherine have entered into with their new home Forest Lodge.

The pair have a 20 year lease and are paying “open market rent” on the eight bedroom Georgian mansion.

The public accounts committee inquiry will focus on various aspects of the Crown Estate and how it is managed.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are paying market rate rent for their home. Picture: AFP

These include analysing correspondence between the committee, the Crown Estate and the Treasury.

Sir Geoffrey thanked the Crown Estate and the Treasury “for their considered responses to our questions”.

He noted the committee: “fulfils one of its primary purposes – to aid transparency in public-interest information, as part of its overall mission to secure value for money for the taxpayer.”

Originally published as Royal Lodge disrepair means Prince Andrew will lose out on $1m compensation, report finds