The Royal Family would be “wasting their time” by launching any attempt to remove Prince Andrew from Royal Lodge, according to legal experts.
On Monday, it was revealed that the royal 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".
This nominal payment structure has sparked concerns about potential income denied to public coffers.
The Royal Family would be “wasting their time” by launching any attempt to remove Prince Andrew from Royal Lodge, according to legal experts.
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Revenue generated by the Crown Estate, which manages royal properties and land, flows directly to the Treasury to support national finances.
The rent arrangement has intensified scrutiny over whether taxpayers are missing out on substantial income that could have been generated from the royal residence.
However, property lawyer Mike Hansom, a partner at BLB Solicitors, has stated Prince Andrew is entitled to stay at the property due to the terms of his lease.
Mr Hansom told the Mail: “Any attempt to get Andrew out would be a waste of time as he bought the house on a 75-year lease agreement and therefore is legally entitled to live in the property until 2078.”
Property lawyer Mike Hansom, a partner at BLB Solicitors, has stated Prince Andrew is entitled to stay at the property due to the terms of his lease.
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The lawyer added: “He would either have to agree to leave by mutual consent or can only be forced to leave if he has failed to adhere to the tenants covenants in the lease, which is unlikely.”
Property expert and estate agent Henry Sherwood offered a similar assessment of the situation.
Mr Sherwood said: “He has a lease to rent it, but there is a peppercorn agreement so he only pays a nominal amount, usually just £1, so they can say he pays for it.
“Unless there are any break clauses, then the lease is valid for the full term, and he cannot be evicted.”
Records indicate that the prince entered into a 75-year lease for the property in 2003, making an initial payment of £1m.
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Records 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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