Inquiry into Crown Estate launched after controversy over Andrew's residence

An influential parliamentary committee is launching an enquiry into the Crown Estate - the immense scope of properties and onshore owned by the monarchy.

The determination by the Public Accounts Committee follows scrutiny of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's surviving arrangements astatine Royal Lodge connected the Windsor Estate, and the revelation helium pays a peppercorn rent.

The Crown Estate and the Treasury were asked to explicate and warrant his lease statement to the committee aft the bid of scandals implicit Andrew's arguable links to Jeffrey Epstein which saw him step down from royal duties and suffer his royal benignant and titles.

The erstwhile prince has consistently denied allegations of intersexual maltreatment and his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, took her ain beingness this year.

Public Accounts Committee seat Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown thanked the Treasury and Crown Estate for responding to questions and said the committee's "overall" ngo was to "secure worth for wealth for the taxpayer".

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He said: "Having reflected connected what we person received, the accusation provided intelligibly forms the beginnings of a ground for an inquiry."

The enquiry into the Crown Estate volition commencement successful the caller twelvemonth and volition see leases fixed to members of the royal family, arsenic good arsenic wider enactment based connected the estate's yearly accounts.

Part of the responses fixed to the committee corroborate Andrew won't person immoderate compensation for leaving Royal Lodge owed to the attraction and repairs the spot needs.

It has besides been revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales person a 20-year lease connected their caller home, Forest Lodge, besides situated wrong Windsor Great Park.