Ex-Prince Andrew Surrenders Lease on Another Royal Residence
Ex-Prince Andrew Surrenders Lease on Another Royal Residence
Janine HenniWed, March 4, 2026 at 4:26 PM UTC
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(Left) Prince Andrew at the Duchess of Kent's funeral in London on Sept. 16, 2025; (Right) The East Lodge cottage in BerkshireCredit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Google Maps -
The former Prince Andrew was asked to surrender the lease of East Lodge, a cottage near Windsor that he has rented since 1998
The former Duke of York recently moved out of his longtime home at Royal Lodge
The news follows scrutiny of Andrew’s finances and his historic arrest on Feb. 19
The former Prince Andrew is giving up another royal residence.
On March 3, the BBC reported that the former Duke of York, 66, has been asked to surrender the lease of East Lodge, which he has rented since 1998 from the Crown Estate.
PEOPLE has contacted the Crown Estate for comment.
East Lodge is a Grade II-listed, thatched cottage that Andrew began leasing in February 1998 for a staff member on commercial terms, who continues to live there, according to a response from the Crown Estate submitted to the Public Accounts Committee in November 2025.
The East Lodge cottage in Berkshire.Credit: Google Maps
The Crown Estate is an independent, commercial business with a vast portfolio including land, seabed and urban centers around the U.K. It is not owned by King Charles, and its profits go to the Treasury.
As of August 2025, Andrew had been paying about $17,293 in annual rent for the property, a fraction of the cost for an area where two to three-bedroom apartments could cost as much as $10,000 per month to rent, the BBC said.
Its latest lease terms are thought to have been due to end in July 2027, and the early eviction may have been spurred after the BBC submitted a Freedom of Information request in January about the residence.
"Since then… we have received a request for us to consider an early termination of the lease," the Crown Estate told the outlet.
The legal process now kicks in for Andrew to surrender the lease, The Times reported.
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It was announced in October 2025 that King Charles' brother was evicted from Royal Lodge, his longtime home and contentious residence where he allegedly paid "peppercorn rent," when the monarch stripped his royal titles. King Charles made the move amid renewed scrutiny of Andrew's ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier and convicted sex offender who died while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in August 2019.
Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.Credit: Shutterstock
Andrew's alleged connections to Epstein sparked his step back from his royal role that November following a tell-all BBC Newsnight interview, though he has denied any wrongdoing regarding their relationship. Queen Elizabeth later stripped Andrew of his military titles and patronages in January 2022 after a judge rejected his attempt to have Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed; he settled with Giuffre out of court the following month.
PEOPLE confirmed that the former Duke of York, who is now called Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, officially moved out of Royal Lodge in early February, leaving the 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park that he called home since 2003. He was expected to temporarily live at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk before moving into another property nearby, which is currently undergoing renovations.
On the morning of Feb. 19, his 66th birthday, Andrew was arrested at Wood Farm on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
(Left) An unmarked vehicle outside the gates of the Royal Lodge, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former residence in Windsor Great Park on Feb. 19, 2026; (Right) Prince Andrew in Perth, Australia on Oct. 2, 2019.Credit: Leon Neal/Getty ; RICHARD WAINWRIGHT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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Authorities are investigating a claim that he shared confidential information with Epstein during his time as trade envoy for the U.K. in the 2000s.
Andrew was released after spending about 11 hours in police custody and now faces an uncertain road ahead. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Andrew's historic arrest and ongoing fallout around his family are the subject of PEOPLE's exclusive cover story this week, where royal author Catherine Mayer says, "A stronger intervention earlier on might have prevented all of this.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
