Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was pictured looking gloomy as he went out for a ride in the rain on Tuesday. The former Duke of York was joined by a member of staff as he rode a brown horse around the grounds of Windsor Great Park.
While no new details of exactly when his move out of Royal Lodge will take place, it is expected that Andrew will wave goodbye to his 30-room property on the Crown Estate at some stage this year. While he has until his one-year notice period expires in October, it has been widely reported that the Royal Family wish for him and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, to leave the estate by Easter. The new photographs of Andrew out riding come after it was reported that during his 22-year tenure in the home, Royal Lodge was never inspected by Crown Estate officials.
It emerged last year that Andrew had been paying a “peppercorn” sum of rent each year and is no longer entitled to an estimated £488,342 in compensation, owing to the state of disrepair the mansion is in.
While Andrew paid an initial £1million in 2003 for the lease of the Crown Estate home, along with at least £7.5 million for refurbishments, he has been living there for a very low amount for the subsequent years.
The lease agreement stated that the occupier of the home is required to “repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair and, where necessary, rebuild” the 30-bedroom mansion.
The fact that no inspections of the property took place during Andrew’s time living at the Windsor home may not come as a surprise, especially as photographs taken last year showed that the home, which was once lived in by Andrew’s grandmother, The Queen Mother, was definitely showing signs of its age.
The need for repairs has now disadvantaged the former prince, as it has been reported that he may no longer be entitled to compensation for terminating his 75-year lease early.
It was originally believed he could have received around £488,342.21; however, as the property is in need of repair, the former Duke may now leave the property without receiving a penny.
While no official moving date has been announced by the palace, it is expected that Andrew will relocate to a smaller property on the King’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Although not confirmed, it has been widely suggested that his new residence will be Marsh Farm, situated approximately seven miles from the main house. This was reported after a ‘no-fly’ order was extended to cover the area surrounding the home.
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