Andrew’s former 30-room royal mansion to go back up for lease – with a hefty bill

The Royal Lodge, which was formerly home to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is set to go back up for lease.

However, anyone looking to inhabit the 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park will need to pass strict security checks and foot a £400,000 annual bill for upkeep.

Andrew left the Royal Lodge in February following revelations about his friendship with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

He was forced to instead move into a more modest home on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

But now the mansion, which boasts several outhouses and a swimming pool, may not be home to another Royal as no other member of the family wants to take up the lease, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Andrew remains on the lease until October and remains responsible for it despite the fact he has moved out.

From October the Crown Estate will be able to lease the property, but any new tenant must be able to maintain the upkeep of the property, which could cost £400,000 a year.

Profits from the Crown Estate’s portfolio are returned to the Treasury.

The Royal Chapel of All Saints also sits on the ground and any prospective tenant would need to grant the royal family access to it.

In June, a National Audit Office investigation revealed Andrew received an undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on his Royal Lodge estate for over two decades, while paying only a peppercorn rent.

His leasehold agreement revealed he paid £1 million for the lease and that since then he paid “one peppercorn” of rent “if demanded” per year.

He was also required to pay a further £7.5 million for refurbishments completed in 2005.

The report did not detail how much income he generated from subletting the cottages.

Robin Edwards, a property buying agent at Curetons, previously told The Independent he would expect rents in the region of £2,500 to £5,000 per month per cottage, although this would depend on their size, specification and exact location within the estate.

Based on an assumption of three bedrooms and two bathrooms, Mr Edwards said: “Three-bedroom cottages within the Windsor estate would command a premium because of their unique setting, security and prestige.

“Assuming they are well-maintained period cottages, I would expect rents in the region of £2,500 to £5,000 per month per cottage, depending on size, specification and exact location within the estate.

“For three such cottages, a landlord could potentially generate between £7,500 and £15,000 per month in rental income, equivalent to roughly £90,000 to £180,000 per year.”

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth formerly lived in the Royal Lodge, but after his grandmother’s death, Andrew signed a lease on the mansion.

He divorced his former wife Sarah Ferguson in 1996, but she continued to live there with him until their forced departure.