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The Public Accounts Committee has demanded answers from both the Treasury and Crown Estate asking them to explain Andrew’s lucrative lease at Royal Lodge
MPs are now demanding answers regarding Prince Andrew’s rent-free deal at Royal Lodge amid the “serious and disturbing allegations” against him.
The disgraced Royal has been under increasing pressure to vacate his 30-room Windsor mansion due to the uproar over his connections to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the ‘peppercorn’ rent deal he has with the Crown Estate for the property, which means he has barely paid any for more than 20 years.
Now, the influential Parliamentary watchdog known as the ‘queen of select committees’ is seeking answers from both the Treasury and Crown Estate to explain Andrew’s lucrative lease.
Questions have been raised about whether Andrew’s Royal Lodge deal means the taxpayer is missing out as profits from the Crown Estate are given to the Treasury for public spending.
Yesterday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which investigates whether taxpayers’ money is being wisely spent, requested “an update on the status of, and rationale for, the lease” for the opulent property.
In a letter, PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown stated: “There is considerable and understandable public interest in the spending of public money in relation to Prince Andrew, which in part stems from the fact that he is no longer a working Royal and from serious and disturbing allegations made against him.”
The Conservative MP stated that the Crown Estate has a responsibility to manage its land “according to the best consideration of money or money’s worth which in their opinion can be reasonably obtained”.
He continued: “We are therefore concerned as to whether the lease arrangements for Royal Lodge are, in light of recent developments and changes in the responsibilities of Prince Andrew, achieving the best value for money. They must also be justifiable in comparison to other options for the use or disposal of the property.”, reports the Mirror.
“It is also a matter of concern to the committee that the terms of the lease, including those relating to maintenance, are being effectively enforced to maintain the value and character of this nationally important royal residence.”
The PAC, which ensures efficiency and effectiveness regarding government expenditure, has previously been instrumental in examining the PPE and Post Office controversies.
The committee confirmed it will determine its next course of action upon receiving responses from the Crown Estate and Treasury, which face a November 28 deadline.
Prince Andrew secured a £1million 75-year lease on the Grade-II listed Royal Lodge estate in 2003, subsequently paying “one peppercorn” rent “if demanded” annually.
The Royal Family faces increasing demands to address the Prince Andrew situation, with several MPs keen to raise the matter in Parliament. Earlier this month, he surrendered his Duke of York title following claims that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre before the release of her posthumous memoir.
However, the Prince, who has steadfastly refuted the allegations, has been unable to put the scandal to bed, with attention now turning to his housing arrangements.
Andrew is reportedly in discussions with the King’s advisers about vacating Royal Lodge, his home for over two decades despite holding a “cast-iron” lease.
Sources suggest he and former wife Sarah Ferguson have reached an agreement to quit the estate in return for two separate homes – Frogmore Cottage and Adelaide Cottage.
Against the backdrop of mounting fury regarding Andrew’s accommodation, the King faced heckling whilst greeting crowds outside Lichfield Cathedral this week from a member of the public who bellowed a series of questions, including “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?”.
This follows Andrew’s assertion during his notorious Newsnight appearance that he severed all ties with Epstein following a visit to New York in 2010, when the duo were photographed together in Central Park.
Nevertheless, it emerged earlier this month that Andrew allegedly contacted Epstein via email a year afterwards in 2011, just one day after the surfacing of the now-notorious photograph showing Andrew alongside his accuser Ms Giuffre, stating they were “in this together” – contradicting his assertions that he had terminated contact.
Convicted paedophile Epstein perished in custody in 2019 whilst awaiting additional proceedings. Ms Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl, in which she claims she was coerced into sexual encounters with Andrew on three distinct occasions, hit the shelves mere days after Andrew relinquished his Duke of York titles.
He vehemently denies all accusations levelled against him.
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