UK's Royal Family Faces Scrutiny Over Prince Andrew's Subsidized London Home
A parliamentary committee is seeking clarification on Prince Andrew's low rent at Royal Lodge, a sprawling Windsor Great Park property that has been his home since 2003. The public accounts select committee (PAC), chaired by Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has written to the Treasury and crown estate, requesting details on the lease and explanations for the £1-a-year "peppercorn" rent.
The royal family's financial dealings have long been subject to scrutiny, with many questioning why Prince Andrew, who is no longer a working royal, continues to live in such a lavish property. The PAC's inquiry has been prompted by fresh allegations against the prince, including those made in a posthumous memoir by Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre.
According to reports, Prince Andrew paid just £1m for the 30-room property and has since spent an additional £7.5m on renovations. Despite paying this significant amount upfront, he is said to be paying "peppercorn" rent - a figure that is often used in leases as a technical necessity, rather than a genuine reflection of the property's value.
The PAC's letter highlights concerns over whether public funds were used to fund any work on the property and requests an unredacted copy of the lease. The committee also wants to know if the current tenancy remains the most suitable use of Royal Lodge in light of Prince Andrew's changed role and if the lease arrangements are achieving "best value for money."
Prince Andrew is reportedly in talks with King Charles's representatives about leaving the property voluntarily, although this could potentially lead to costly compensation for him. The Treasury and crown estate have yet to comment on the PAC's inquiry.
A parliamentary committee is seeking clarification on Prince Andrew's low rent at Royal Lodge, a sprawling Windsor Great Park property that has been his home since 2003. The public accounts select committee (PAC), chaired by Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, has written to the Treasury and crown estate, requesting details on the lease and explanations for the £1-a-year "peppercorn" rent.
The royal family's financial dealings have long been subject to scrutiny, with many questioning why Prince Andrew, who is no longer a working royal, continues to live in such a lavish property. The PAC's inquiry has been prompted by fresh allegations against the prince, including those made in a posthumous memoir by Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre.
According to reports, Prince Andrew paid just £1m for the 30-room property and has since spent an additional £7.5m on renovations. Despite paying this significant amount upfront, he is said to be paying "peppercorn" rent - a figure that is often used in leases as a technical necessity, rather than a genuine reflection of the property's value.
The PAC's letter highlights concerns over whether public funds were used to fund any work on the property and requests an unredacted copy of the lease. The committee also wants to know if the current tenancy remains the most suitable use of Royal Lodge in light of Prince Andrew's changed role and if the lease arrangements are achieving "best value for money."
Prince Andrew is reportedly in talks with King Charles's representatives about leaving the property voluntarily, although this could potentially lead to costly compensation for him. The Treasury and crown estate have yet to comment on the PAC's inquiry.
prince andrew must be thinking he's still got his old working royal gig going on 
. seriously though, it's a bit dodgy how he's getting such a sweetheart deal, especially with all the other controversy surrounding him 
. i mean, if he's not using the place for official business anymore, why should we be footing the bill? 
gotta keep an eye on this one 
! Like what even is a peppercorn rent of £1?! I mean I get it he's not working royal anymore but still, 30 rooms and £8.5m renovations? That's wild fam! And now the public accounts committee is all up in arms about it 
But what if he has to pay us back for all that renovation work tho?!? That'd be, like, a whole lot of money 
. You know, I've been meaning to ask, have you guys ever tried making a good beef Wellington? It's like, not that hard, but it takes some practice, right? 
What's the point of paying all that upfront if you're just gonna save £1 a year on the rent? It's like my friend said, "if you're not using it, why are you keeping it?" 
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. The fact that Prince Andrew paid £7.5m for renovations just shows how much he loves his lifestyle 
i get why ppl are questioning but lets not forget hes not working royal anymore so whats the big deal about him living there? 
maybe he just wants a quiet life and doesnt need all that drama surrounding him. also, think about it this way: if public funds were used for renovations thats a whole different story but like 1p rent? its not like hes being robbed or anything 
It's like he's getting a free ride while the rest of us are struggling with sky-high housing costs 
. And let's be real, he hasn't been working royal duties for ages, so what's the point of keeping this super lavish pad if he's not using it? 
It's like they're playing a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek with public funds! 
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. fingers crossed that the parliamentary committee gets some answers soon!
The fact that he's paying "peppercorn" rent is pretty laughable, considering the amount of money he spent on renovations. And what about the allegations against him? You'd think the royal family would want to be transparent about this, but instead they're trying to keep it under wraps 
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I don't get it at all.
. The public should know more about how their taxes are bein used 
. I'm not sure what kind of "best value for money" we're talking about here. It sounds like there might be some irregularities going on, and it's only right that the public accounts select committee gets to the bottom of it.