Ex-Prince Andrew‘s old Windsor home, Royal Lodge, has reportedly not been inspected in all the time he’s lived there.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 65, moved into the Lodge in 2004 but was evicted by King Charles III last year at the same time his royal titles were stripped away. He lost his royal privilegesdue to his friendship with dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Ex-Prince Andrew Has Lived at Royal Lodge Since 2004
According to Daily Mail, the sprawling 30-mansion property has never been investigated by a Crown Estate official.
Andrew was given a 75-year lease agreement by the Crown Estate, who owns the Lodge, after the Queen Mother died in 2002.
The lease noted that the ex-Duke of York was required to “repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair and, where necessary, rebuild” the abode.
“Royal Lodge was not inspected once by Crown Estate officials in the 22 years Andrew lived there rent-free,” a source told the outlet, also noting that the absence of a house run-through has caused “controversy [to] grow over the dilapidated condition of his former home.”
“When the lease for the 30-room Royal Lodge estate was signed in 2003, it included unique terms which included no rent but a costly upfront refurbishment and upkeep schedule,” they added.
Andrew is set to move into a smaller home on the royal family’s Norfolk estate, Sandringham, sometime this year.
Andrew Was Granted a 75-Year Lease on the Royal Lodge
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams recently gave his two cents on the situation to Daily Mail, noting how there is “little doubt that the extraordinary absence of inspections of Royal Lodge, which under the terms of the lease could be periodically carried out, will be seen as yet another example of the sweetheart deal between the Crown Estate and Andrew.”
“This revelation is all the more surprising when you consider the fact that Andrew has been involved in so many high-profile disasters in recent years, and still no one thought to inspect the condition of the property until recently,” he added.
An inspection was finally done over two decades later in recent weeks, with officials finding the home to be in a rundown state that needed major repairs.
Fitzwilliams then explained how Royal Lodge’s crumbling condition “will undoubtedly lead to changes in the way leases involving members of the royal family are drawn up by the Crown Estate in the future.”
At first, Andrew did not want to leave his longtime home willingly, even demanding $99 million from Charles, 77, to move out. However, he is set to officially vacate the property next month after a back-and-forth without a hefty payday.
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