Ex-Prince Andrew may be losing access to another royal-linked residence, according to new reports. The former Duke of York, who stepped back from royal duties and lost his titles recently, has already relocated from Royal Lodge earlier this year. Now, attention is turning to a second property connected to the Crown Estate. Reports suggest the long-held lease on the property could soon come to an early end.
Ex-Prince Andrew is reportedly asked to surrender lease of Crown Estate property
Ex-Prince Andrew has reportedly asked to end his lease on East Lodge, a Crown Estate cottage located in Berkshire. According to documents allegedly acquired by the BBC, the former royal had been paying close to £13,000 a year in rent for the property.
East Lodge is described as a 19th-century thatched cottage located around five miles from Windsor, in an area between Windsor and Ascot. The property was originally linked to Sunninghill Park, the larger estate where Andrew once lived before moving to Royal Lodge in 2004.
While Sunninghill Park was sold in 2007, East Lodge remained under a separate rental agreement with the Crown Estate. Reports suggest Andrew first took the lease in 1998, when the yearly rent was about £3,500. Over time, the cost increased under the terms of the agreement. By 2020, the annual rent had risen to just over £8,000, and a later review reportedly pushed it to £12,922 last year.
The cottage is believed to have mainly been used as accommodation for staff. That said, details about who currently lives there have not been publicly confirmed. Per the BBC, the Crown Estate has said that who occupies the property is considered a “private matter” and separate from the lease itself.
According to reports, Andrew’s request to end the lease came after the BBC submitted a Freedom of Information request earlier this year about the property arrangement. The Crown Estate later said it had “received a request to consider an early termination of the lease,” even though the agreement was reportedly due to run until July 2027.
Meanwhile, parliamentary committees are preparing to examine royal property leases more closely. As per officials, the review aims to improve transparency and ensure value for taxpayers.
