Scandal-ridden Prince Andrew is undoubtedly the least popular British royal. And the revelation about how much rent he pays – or, more accurately, doesn’t pay – hasn’t exactly improved public perceptions. A recently obtained document shows that the Duke pays only a symbolic payment each year.
Prince Andrew is charged “one peppercorn (if demanded) in rent each year for Royal Lodge
Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate since 2003. According to his lease, he is only required to pay “one peppercorn (if demanded)” per year, reports The Times. Of course, that doesn’t mean the disgraced Duke is cracking open his pepper grinder every year. “Peppercorn rent” is just an old British legal term meaning a token amount – it can be as low as £1 a year. Essentially, Andrew has paid no rent since living in the mansion.
There is a caveat, though. The Prince reportedly paid an upfront sum when he signed the lease in order to avoid annual payments. The BBC reports that this sum included “£5 million worth of repairs, £2.5 million for the option of buying out future rent and a further £1 million premium to the Crown Estate.” So, around $10.6 million in total.
Where the Duke got this kind of money from in 2003 is something of a mystery. Wherever the money came from, it’s ensured he has a lease for life – there’s still another 50 years on it. And that’s not ideal for the royals. After all, having a disgraced member of the family living in a grand 30-room estate amid accusations of sleeping with teenage girls and close ties to a convicted sex offender isn’t exactly good PR.
It’s also not so surprising that Prince William is allegedly desperate to further isolate his uncle from the family.
TELL US – DO YOU PAY YOUR RENT IN CONDIMENTS?
