Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been given assurances from the Royal Family regarding their residences amid negotiations with Prince Andrew to vacate Royal Lodge.
The Palace has been intensifying efforts to convince the disgraced royal to voluntarily leave his the 30-room Windsor home.
Andrew has been at the centre of a storm of public scrutiny relating to his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and links to China which led him to surrender the use of his titles, including the Duke of York, last week.
Following the decision, he is now understood to be in advanced talks to leave the residence, where he has lived effectively rent free since 2003, amid repeated calls for him to downsize.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have received assurances from the Royal Family amid negotiations with Prince Andrew
|GETTY
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Amid a renewed push in negotiations, Palace staff are now emphasising that Andrew’s beloved daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, must be “looked after” regardless of the outcome.
These assurances have covered the 37 and 35-year-old sister’s homes in St James’s Palace and Kensington Palace respectively.
The pair are understood to have been told that their tenancy status in the properties will not be affected by any decision made regarding Andrew’s future at Royal Lodge, The Telegraph reported.
It follows an announcement from Buckingham Palace, after Andrew’s decision to relinquish the use of his titles, that Beatrice and Eugenie would remain princesses as they remained the granddaughters of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Beatrice and Eugenie are understood to have been told they will retain their residences at St James’s Palace and Kensington Palace
|GETTY
On Friday, it emerged that Andrew and King Charles were locked in negotiations over his future at the Grade-II listed palatial residence.
Although Prince Andrew initially resisted, pointing to five decades remaining on his prepaid tenancy, Palace insiders now detect increasing acceptance that relocation is unavoidable.
His "cast iron" lease presents legal obstacles to eviction, prompting Buckingham Palace to pursue voluntary surrender instead.
Key obstacles remain in the negotiations, particularly regarding financial settlements for Andrew's substantial investments in the property and identifying suitable alternative accommodation.
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The millions he has invested in Royal Lodge through the Crown Estate lease arrangement require resolution.
Prince Andrew has been paying merely a symbolic annual fee for his 30-room Windsor residence for more than two decades.
The lease arrangement specifies payment of "one peppercorn" yearly, "if demanded", which is how Andrew has managed to retain the substantial property.
In light of this arrangement making headlines, Palace officials have recently adopted a more resolute stance on securing Andrew’s departure.
Andrew is currentlt in talks to vacate Royal Lodge in Windsor
|GETTY
Records also indicate that the prince entered into a 75-year lease for the property in 2003, making an initial payment of £1m.
According to a National Audit Office report, he was additionally obligated to contribute £7.5m towards renovations that were finalised in 2005.
The lease documentation reveals that should the prince surrender the property, the Crown Estate would owe him approximately £558,000.
He would receive annual payments of £185,865 until 2028, marking the agreement's 25th year.
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