As the scandal surrounding Britain’s Prince Andrew continues to make headlines across the world, many are asking whether the disgraced royal will be able to continue living in Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion that has been his home since 2003.
But how much do we know about the sprawling property in Windsor Great Park that is home to Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and where their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, spent much of their teenage years?
The late Queen Elizabeth II granted Andrew, the third of her four children, the right to live in the lodge, which is officially owned by the Crown Estate. The prince paid £1 million for the property back in 2003, and under the terms of the 75-year lease, due to expire on June 15, 2078, he is expected to pay for any refurbishment work and the maintenance of the surrounding grounds.
He was also required upfront to pay £7.5 million ($10 million) to cover necessary refurbishments that were completed in 2005, according to a National Audit Office report. According to the lease, signed on August 8, 2003, rent “if demanded” was only required to be “one peppercorn” per annum.
The property sits in an estate of 40 hectares (99 acres) and features a swimming pool, an aviary, six lodge cottages, a gardener’s cottage and accommodation for police protecting the royals to stay in.
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