A probe has found Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was making an ‘undisclosed sum’ while paying hardly anything for his former home on the Royal Lodge estate in Windsor
Shamed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was making ‘outrageous’ money subletting three cottages(Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
Shamed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was making “outrageous” money subletting three cottages while paying a peppercorn rent for over two decades, a probe has found. The ex-Prince was making an “undisclosed” sum while paying hardly anything for his former gaff on his Royal Lodge estate in Windsor.
Critics have blasted the “total contempt for the taxpayer” as it was also revealed the King is paying Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s rent in royal palaces, despite both Andrew’s daughters being non-working royals.
Ex-Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker slammed the arrangements. He said: “The whole thing is outrageous. If you look at Andrew, this is adding insult to injury.
“It shows an absolute total contempt for the taxpayer, not only that Andrew was able to have a peppercorn rent for a gigantic property, but then to make potentially millions on the side from subletting properties. The money should have gone to the Crown Estate, not into (his) pockets.”
He added of Beatrice and Eugenie: “There’s no way that non-working members of the royal family should be subsidised by the Duchy of Lancaster. The royal family is yet again taking the public for a complete ride.”
The probe found Andrew, 66, was entitled to sublet up to three pads in Windsor Great Park under the terms of his lease.
But details of how much he trousered or how much the King pays for Eugenie and Beatrice’s rent weren’t released by the National Audit Office, with the watchdog saying the amounts were private.
It also emerged the princesses’ adjusted rents were based on out-of-date open market valuations. The King’s nieces Eugenie, 36, and Beatrice, 37, both have jobs with the elder sibling married to millionaire property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 42.
It comes after their dad Andrew quit Royal Lodge earlier this year following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and moved to the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing over his links to Epstein.
A spokesperson for The Crown Estate said: “The Crown Estate welcomes the National Audit Office’s review which confirms its leases with members of the royal family were agreed in line with independent, professional advice and open market valuations.
“We look forward to discussing the report further with the Public Accounts Committee in due course.”
Buckingham Palace declined to comment, while Andrew was also approached for a response.
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