MPs demand Crown Estate explains why Prince Andrew paid 'peppercorn' rent at Royal Lodge

Parliament's spending watchdog has asked the Crown Estate to explicate the rationale down Prince Andrew's "peppercorn" rent astatine Royal Lodge.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has written to the Treasury and the Crown Estate aft raising concerns implicit the worth for wealth of the prince's surviving arrangements.

The King's squad is said to beryllium successful talks with his member astir leaving the spot voluntarily pursuing renewed contention implicit his links to the precocious paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew signed a 75-year lease successful 2003 aft paying an archetypal down outgo of £1m and spent £7.5m connected renovations arsenic portion of the agreement. He lives determination with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.

"Peppercorn rent" is simply a ineligible word utilized successful leases to amusement that rent technically exists, truthful the lease is valid, but it's nominal, often virtually £1 a twelvemonth oregon conscionable a symbolic amount. In practice, it means the tenant pays nary rent.

In a missive published connected Wednesday, PAC president and Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, said: "There is sizeable and understandable nationalist involvement successful the spending of nationalist wealth successful narration to Prince Andrew, which successful portion stems from the information that helium is nary longer a moving Royal and from superior and disturbing allegations made against him."

He asked "that you constitute to america providing an update connected the presumption of, and rationale for, the lease".

Prince Andrew gave up his titles up of the work of the posthumous memoirs of Virginia Giuffre, who accused the prince of sexually abusing her arsenic a 17-year-old. He has strenuously denied the allegations.

Criticism has present turned to the 30-room mansion successful Windsor helium has lived successful efficaciously rent-free since 2003.

Sir Geoffrey said the Crown Estate has a work to negociate its onshore "according to the champion information of wealth oregon money's worthy which successful their sentiment tin beryllium reasonably obtained".

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He went on: "We are truthful acrophobic arsenic to whether the lease arrangements for Royal Lodge are, successful airy of caller developments and changes successful the responsibilities of Prince Andrew, achieving the champion worth for money.

"They indispensable besides beryllium justifiable successful examination to different options for the usage oregon disposal of the property.

"It is besides a substance of interest to the committee that the presumption of the lease, including those relating to maintenance, are being efficaciously enforced to support the worth and quality of this nationally important royal residence."

He has requested a effect connected oregon earlier 28 November, and said the committee volition past determine if a nationalist grounds league should beryllium held.