Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie could reportedly face a major blow as their parents continued to be embroiled in scandal (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie could be facing another major blow as their mum, Sarah Ferguson and dad, Prince Andrew, continue to make headlines across the world.
It has been said the royal sisters are attempting to distance themselves from their parents in light of recent events, but one topic which has newly popped up is over Sarah and Andrew’s shared accommodation, Royal Lodge.
The 30-room house has been home to the Duke and Duchess of York for the last two decades, however, questions over how they have afforded to stay in the mansion have arisen over the years.
Andrew has a 75-year lease on the royal property, which means he is entitled to live there in 2078. It was previously suggested Andrew had hoped to give the house to his two daughters – but according to an expert, he could face some potential troubles.
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Terry Fisher, from We Buy Any Home, explained: “Andrew’s long lease, reportedly lasting 75 years, shows that he’s invested significantly in Royal Lodge, giving him strong occupancy rights.
“He might hope to pass the property on to his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, once he can no longer reside there.
“However, royal leases often include restrictions around succession, especially for properties intended to serve working royals.
“Such leases aren’t always straightforward inheritance-wise; transferring the lease to non-working members of the family could likely require the Crown Estate’s approval, especially under King Charles, who might prioritise other uses for royal properties.
“In other words, while Andrew has substantial rights under the lease, he may still face limitations in passing it on to family without special permissions.”
It seems highly unlikely that the King, nor his heir Prince William, will afford Andrew any favours. Charles, who demanded his disgraced brother rescind his royal titles, is said to be keen for him to leave the Lodge in favour of a smaller property.
Last year, he also severed Andrew’s ‘£1 million-a-year’ allowance to ensure he was “no longer a financial burden.”
Prince William, meanwhile, is said to be determined to oust his uncle from royal life completely when he takes the throne.
It comes after the shock revelation that Andrew has not paid rent on Royal Lodge since 2003. The leasehold agreement on Andrew’s grace and favour mansion was obtained by The Times amid calls for transparency over the residence.
It shows that Andrew’s rent has been set at “one peppercorn (if demanded)” per year since 2003. In legal terms, a “peppercorn rent” means rent in name only and is a symbolic amount included to make an agreement legally valid, the Mirror reported.
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In practice, this means Andrew has not paid any rent on Royal Lodge since moving in over two decades ago. The clause effectively allows the prince to live in the 30-room mansion rent-free provided he covers maintenance costs.
Documents obtained by the Times show Andrew paid £1million for the lease and at least £7.5million towards extensive refurbishments completed in 2005.
Andrew has a 75-year lease of the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge , allowing him to live in the property until 2078.
The lease agreement confirms that the Crown Estate would need to pay Andrew around £558,000 if he gave up the lease. And he would be due a £185,865 a year compensatory sum until year 25 of the agreement is reached in 2028.