{"id":2269335,"date":"2026-02-06T08:34:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T08:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2269335"},"modified":"2026-02-06T08:34:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T08:34:12","slug":"epstein-linked-disclosures-trigger-inquiry-into-andrews-windsor-lease-uk-royal-finances-firstpost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/epstein-linked-disclosures-trigger-inquiry-into-andrews-windsor-lease-uk-royal-finances-firstpost\/","title":{"rendered":"Epstein-linked disclosures trigger inquiry into Andrew\u2019s Windsor lease, UK royal finances \u2013 Firstpost"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

Fresh controversy linked to Andrew has triggered a parliamentary inquiry into lease arrangements on the Windsor estate, focusing attention on how royal properties are managed, how much is paid for their use, and what this means for public finances.<\/p>\n

Parliament\u2019s Public Accounts Committee is set to launch an inquiry later this year following reports that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor paid only a nominal \u201cpeppercorn\u201d rent for Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion on the Windsor estate, from the time he moved in during 2003.<\/p>\n

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/span><\/div>\n

Andrew<\/a> vacated the property on Monday after US authorities last week released a new batch of emails detailing his close ties to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n

The committee has not yet confirmed the date of the inquiry. In a letter to the Crown Estate, committee chairman Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said MPs were \u201cconcerned\u201d about whether the Royal Lodge lease was \u201cachieving the best value for money\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny reduced income \u2026 reduces the Crown Estate\u2019s annual surplus and therefore would be a cost to taxpayers,\u201d he wrote, while posing several questions about the arrangements.<\/p>\n

King\u2019s action and new residence<\/strong><\/h3>\n

King Charles III last year removed his younger brother\u2019s royal titles and honours amid growing public anger over Andrew\u2019s friendship with Epstein.<\/p>\n

Andrew has since relocated to a property on the Sandringham estate in eastern Norfolk. The estate is privately owned by the king, who is covering his brother\u2019s move, rent, and living expenses.<\/p>\n

The Windsor estate is managed by the Crown Estate, an independent commercial property company operating separately from the government and the royal household. It is not the monarch\u2019s private property, and all profits are paid directly into the public purse.<\/p>\n

The planned inquiry has highlighted the royal family\u2019s complex financial structures.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inquiry marks a shift in the constitutional balance between parliament and the monarchy,\u201d said Francesca Jackson, a PhD researcher specialising in constitutional monarchy at Lancaster University.<\/p>\n

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cFor a long time, the monarchy has escaped scrutiny, but things are changing,\u201d she told AFP.<\/p>\n

Norman Baker, a former Liberal Democrat MP, said Andrew\u2019s case had \u201copened the door\u201d to deeper questioning of the monarchy. His book Royal Mint, National Debt: The Shocking Truth about the Royals looks at what he describes as \u201cthe real cost\u201d of the monarchy to taxpayers.<\/p>\n

Soaring costs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Sovereign Grant, the annual public funding for working royals, has risen sharply since 2011, when its calculation was linked to Crown Estate profits.<\/p>\n

At present, the
\nroyal family<\/a> receives 12 per cent of the Crown Estate\u2019s profits from the Treasury.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe official grant was \u00a37.9 million a year in 2011. Fourteen years later, it\u2019s \u00a3132.1 million. You don\u2019t have to be a Republican to find that sort of increase obscene,\u201d Baker told AFP.<\/p>\n

Much of the increase has been driven by a windfall from leasing the UK\u2019s seabeds, owned by the estate, to wind farms. Parliamentary documents indicate the grant is expected to rise further to \u00a3137.9 million in 2026-2027.<\/p>\n

Baker said the trend conflicts with the king\u2019s stated aim of a \u201cslimmed-down monarchy\u201d.<\/p>\n

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cWhat he means by that is fewer people on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Well, so what? We haven\u2019t got slimmed-down costs. The cost is going up relentlessly every year.\u201d<\/p>\n

AFP contacted Buckingham Palace for comment, but it declined to respond.<\/p>\n

Supporters of the monarchy argue that returns to the Treasury have increased substantially. Crown Estate profits paid to the government rose from about \u00a3240 million in 2011-2012 to a record \u00a31.1 billion in 2024-2025. Government figures show the estate has contributed \u00a35 billion to the Exchequer over the past decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe monarchy is an amazing bargain,\u201d royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP. He said cost assessments overlook less tangible elements, including global influence and \u201csoft power\u201d.<\/p>\n

Fitzwilliams pointed to the king hosting US President Donald Trump at Windsor last year during trade negotiations as an illustration of that influence.<\/p>\n

Tax questions<\/p>\n

Baker also cited royal tax exemptions as further evidence of limited financial transparency. These include inheritance tax, as well as corporate and capital gains tax, on the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster. The private estates generate income for both the king and the heir to the throne, Prince William.<\/p>\n

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/span><\/div>\n

Both pay income tax on duchy revenues, but the amounts are not disclosed, although Charles revealed how much tax he paid when he was heir.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end Britons are in the dark about the true cost of their monarchy,\u201d Baker said.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n