Prince Andrew under pressure to vacate Royal Lodge as negotiations ramp up, say reports

"Prince Andrew is reportedly in advanced talks with King Charles's senior aides over moving out of his Royal Lodge home after a week in which his peppercorn rent tenancy has come under scrutiny. Pressure has mounted on the royal family for Andrew to vacate the 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park amid the continuing controversy over his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the posthumous publication of the memoirs of the prince's sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre."

"The Public Accounts Committee has confirmed it is writing to the crown estate and the Treasury after it emerged Andrew paid 1m for the lease of the property in 2003, and was required to undertake 7.5m refurbishment costs, but that he has since paid one peppercorn of rent if demanded per year. Buckingham Palace is trying to ramp up pressure on the prince to voluntarily give up the residence, which he cannot be evicted from due to a cast iron lease with the Crown Estate."

"While Andrew's initial response has been to dig his heels in, saying he is entitled to live there until the end of the lease in 2078, negotiations are continuing with a growing sense of inevitability that he will now move out, the paper said. Royal sources had seen a renewed determination to force him out, it added. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the report."

Prince Andrew is reportedly negotiating with King Charles's senior aides to leave Royal Lodge amid scrutiny of his peppercorn rent tenancy. Pressure has increased to vacate the 30-room Windsor Great Park mansion following controversy over his links to Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre's memoirs. The Public Accounts Committee is writing to the Crown Estate and Treasury after revelations that Andrew paid £1m for the 2003 lease and faced £7.5m refurbishment obligations while paying a nominal peppercorn rent. Buckingham Palace is urging voluntary surrender of the residence despite a cast-iron lease preventing eviction. Negotiations continue amid expectations he will move out.

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