According to a copy of Prince Andrew's contract, King Charles III's brother has lived in Royal Lodge for over twenty years, paying only a symbolic fee. Despite not inheriting anything from the Queen, Andrew stubbornly refuses to leave the luxurious estate, which is causing increasing outrage among Britons, writes UNN with reference to Daily Mail.
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As it became known last night, "Prince Andrew has not paid rent for his mansion in Royal Lodge for two decades," the publication writes.
An unredacted copy of Prince Andrew's lease agreement shows that, having paid £1 million for the lease of the estate in 2003 and spent another £7.5 million on its renovation, the prince has effectively not paid rent for over two decades - only "one peppercorn per year (if demanded)".
As it turned out, this condition is explained by the fact that Andrew covered the rent payments in advance - about £260,000 per year due to the renovation work he carried out. Moreover, according to the terms of the agreement, if he leaves the mansion before the lease expires in 2078, the Royal Estate will be forced to return approximately half a million pounds to him.
A copy of the contract was obtained by The Times newspaper after inquiries from MPs and public activists. The published data has already caused a new wave of outrage in society - many believe that Prince Andrew enjoys unfair privileges at public expense.
However, sources told the Daily Mail that questions still remain about how the King's brother can afford the huge 30-room property, which has multi-million pound running costs.
The publication emphasizes that if, as is believed, Andrew did not receive any significant inheritance from the Queen or the Queen Mother, it raises questions about how he can afford to remain in this property, especially given that he now receives neither personal assistance from the King nor state funding.
Charles, 76, has desperately tried in recent years to persuade his younger brother to downsize and move out of the Grade II listed mansion.
He believes that many of Andrew's problems, especially his dealings with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and other questionable individuals, are related to his desire to lead a lifestyle he simply cannot afford.
But Andrew, 65, stubbornly insisted that he had an "unquestionable lease on the house." And as long as he pays the rent, the King has no legal right to evict him.