How Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has funded his lavish lifestyle has been under scrutiny for years. But the spotlight on the former prince’s finances was further intensified when it was revealed he paid only a “peppercorn rent” on the Royal Lodge mansion he was recently evicted from. Now, new intel has come to light. It suggests Andrew made a major profit on a gift from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.
The ex-Prince Andrew sold the extravagant gift
Shortly after his marriage to Sarah Ferguson in 1986, Andrew was gifted Sunninghill Park in Ascot, Berkshire, by the Queen. The sprawling estate was a new build, constructed on land acquired through a royal company linked to the Queen.
Sunninghill Park remained the Yorks’ marital home – and the place they raised their two daughters – until their 1996 divorce. Andrew then relocated to Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate, and Sarah later joined him. They both lived at the Windsor property until they were evicted over their inclusion in the Jeffrey Epstein files. That said, they have always denied any wrongdoing.
With Sunninghill Park sitting empty after the York divorce, Andrew opted to sell it. Billionaire Timur Kulibayev bought it for $20 million, meaning Andrew profited from what had originally been presented as a gift.
“What stands out to many observers is that Andrew ultimately transformed what began as an incredibly generous wedding gift from his mother into a significant personal windfall,” an insider told OK! of the sale.
“By the time the estate was eventually sold, he had effectively walked away with a profit estimated at around $20million,” the source continued. “[This] is an extraordinary return considering the property had originally been provided to him rather than purchased with his own money.”
Elaborating on Andrew’s decision to sell the property, a palace aide said it had “always struck some observers as uncomfortable.”
TELL US – IS IT FAIR THAT ANDREW ALLEGEDLY PROFITED SO MUCH FROM A WEDDING GIFT?
