LONDON – Ex-Prince Andrew has officially surrendered the lease on Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion he called home for over 20 years.
As Andrew handed back the keys, the disgraced royal faced a £1.8 million – or $2.3 million – repair bill for "dilapidations," which was reduced to £1.5 million (roughly $2 million) by Britain's Crown Estate because he was owed compensation for surrendering his lease more than 50 years early.
Andrew's older brother, King Charles, is personally footing the bill for the repairs, USA Today understands, though it remains unclear if the ex-Prince will be expected to pay the monarch back.
On Friday, the BBC described Royal Lodge as being in "poor condition," while The Daily Mail described it as "crumbling."
The king forced
his younger brother to leave the sprawling Windsor property earlier this year following revelations aboutAndrew's ties toconvicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew moved into the property in 2003, taking on a 75 year lease.
Because the lease for Royal Lodge was handed to the Crown Estate earlier than expected, additional value can be generated sooner, therefore Andrew is legally entitled to compensation. Repair costs were deducted from any payout, however, meaning Andrew won't pocket the money, the BBC reported.
"As per the terms of his lease, the tenant was entitled to receive compensation if the lease was surrendered within the first 25 years," a statement from The Crown Estatesays. “The amount of compensation the tenant is entitled to for surrendering the lease in October 2026 is circa £302,000" or about $400,000.
Andrew spent more than two decades living at the property, rent-free, though he paid almost $10 million in "significant" refurbishments to the dilapidated property when he first moved in.
Andrew was told in October 2025 that he would have to leave Royal Lodge, along with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has also been linked to Epstein.
"The lease for Royal Lodge has ended and our focus now is firmly on its future use and the opportunities to generate additional financial value for the nation from its early return," thestatementcontinues.
Andrew, who was stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles by the king last year, now lives in effective exile on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, around two hours from London.
He remains under police investigation, though won a legal case against Thames Valley Police on Oct. 8 after challenging if the search warrants used amid his February arrest were lawful.
Detectives spent days searching the Sandringham Estate and at Royal Lodge.
Thames Valley Police conceded on Thursday that the warrants they used during the raids were unlawful, though the investigation remains active.
Andrew denies the allegations against him.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-prince Andrew finally gives up royal home, king pays huge repair bill
