A future decision on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's home could "backfire", according to a property expert who has issued a fierce warning.
According to buying agent Robin Edwards, any future resident at Royal Lodge must be "heavily vetted" once Andrew and Sarah Ferguson finally vacate the building.
On October 30, Buckingham Palace announced that formal notice had been served for Andrew to surrender his lease on Royal Lodge.
The statement read: "His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
"Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation."
GB News understands that the former duke will be moving to private accommodation on the Sandringham estate, where the Royal Family gathers annually for Christmas.
Mr Edwards, a property buying agent at Curetons, spoke exclusively to GB News about Royal Lodge's future once Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, vacate their former home.
He said: "There is the potential that Royal Lodge could be leased to a close friend or connection of the Royal Family."
Future decision on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's home could 'backfire' as warning issued
|PA / REUTERS
Mr Edwards went on to explain that a similar scenario occurred with Fort Belvedere, the former home of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
He explained: "Another prestigious Crown Estate property nearby, Fort Belvedere, once the home of Edward VIII and from where he abdicated in 1936, has been leased to the billionaire Weston Family since the early 1980s.
"The Weston family is known to have a close relationship with the Royal Family, though.
"They were often guests of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother when she resided at Royal Lodge, and they were also known to host Queen Elizabeth II at the fort.
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Fort Belvedere, home to King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, is located in Windsor Great Park
| GETTY"King Charles III played polo with Galen Weston and even used to keep his polo ponies at the stables at the property.
"Therefore, there is the potential that Royal Lodge could similarly be leased to another close friend or connection of the Royal Family."
However, Mr Edwards described how this option could backfire on the Royal Family if chosen.
"Any potential tenant would have to be heavily vetted and made sure not to have any possible skeletons in their closet that could reflect poorly on the Royal Family," the property expert argued.
A drone view shows Royal Lodge, a large property on the estate surrounding Windsor Castle | REUTERSSpeaking about the money that could be generated via renting Royal Lodge, Mr Edwards claimed: "On the open market, a property of this scale and prestige could in theory command a very substantial rent.
"An exclusive short-term let could easily make well in excess of £100,000 per week, while a long-term tenancy might achieve somewhere between £800,000 to £2million a year."
However, this would be "extremely difficult" to make work, according to the buying agent. He explained: "Royal Lodge is owned by the Crown Estate, Grade II listed and surrounded by tight security.
"It is also known to be in need of significant repair in places, bringing it up to commercial standards would require major investment and letting it as a private tenancy could also raise concerns over privacy and safety."