It appears that while former Prince Andrew was busy hanging around with Jeffrey Epstein, he was also busy with a side hustle as a landlord. Andrew's once-sweet rental deal at Windsor's Royal Lodge is under fresh scrutiny, with a new report revealing he sublet three cottages there while paying only a token sum to the Crown Estate. The National Audit Office review, released Friday, says his 75-year lease allowed subletting but doesn't disclose how much he earned; sources claim the rents merely covered upkeep for staff housing, reports the Guardian. Not everyone is buying that. "It shows an absolute total contempt for the taxpayer, not only that Andrew was able to have a peppercorn rent for a gigantic property, but then to make potentially millions on the side from subletting properties," said former Liberal Democrat lawmaker Norman Baker, a longtime critic of royal finances, per the AP.
Andrew paid a $1.34 million premium and $10.1 million on refurbishing Royal Lodge in 2003 and could be due compensation for giving up the lease early, though the Crown Estate has suggested dilapidations may wipe that out. The report also details how King Charles uses private Duchy of Lancaster funds to pay discounted rents for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie at St. James' Palace and Kensington Palace, typically about 60% of market value, with the NAO saying security and location justify reduced rates. William and Kate pay $413,700 a year for a 20-year lease on Forest Lodge in Windsor after $538,600 of repairs funded by the Crown Estate. Both the Crown Estate and Buckingham Palace said the NAO's findings support their claims of transparency and market-based lease terms.
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