The Crown Estate is looking for a private tenant to take over Royal Lodge, the sprawling 30-room Windsor mansion left empty by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor following his relocation to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Speculation had circulated earlier this year that the King or Queen Camilla might assume occupancy of the property.
However, royal sources confirmed that no member of the Royal Family has shown any desire to move in.
The residence will instead be offered as a private home, according to the Mail on Sunday, though prospective tenants face a significant financial setback – with annual costs estimated at roughly £400,000.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor originally secured the lease in 2003, paying £8million to cover rent for a 75-year term.
That arrangement was upended when notice to surrender the lease was issued in the wake of further disclosures regarding his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Technically, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor retains the lease until the close of October, a detail that prevents any refurbishment work from commencing before then – unless he consents to relinquish it a month ahead of schedule.
Doing so, however, would shift the property’s running costs onto the Crown Estate’s books.
The Crown Estate is looking for a private tenant to take over Royal Lodge, the sprawling 30-room Windsor mansion left empty by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor following his relocation to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk
|
REUTERSA source explained: “The Crown Estate is a business, so the bean counters there are relieved Andrew didn’t give up his lease early, as the ongoing costs would have become their obligation, not Andrew’s.”
Under the terms of his lease, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor would have been eligible for compensation had he handed back the property in satisfactory condition.
A Crown Estate report prepared for MPs on the public accounts committee describes the mansion as “dilapidated,” concluding that the extent of necessary repairs means Mr Mountbatten-Windsor will “in all likelihood” not be owed any payment.
The scale of restoration required before a suitable tenant can be identified could be a significant financial burden for the Crown Estate.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson were evicted from Royal Lodge earlier this year
|
GETTYA swifter alternative – converting the mansion into a conference venue, hotel, or school – has been dismissed entirely.
The Crown Estate’s legal obligations to maintain the character of the surrounding royal park and forest preclude any commercial repurposing.
A source said: “The Crown Estate’s statutory duties require it to preserve the character of the estate as a royal park and forest. That means it has had to rule out turning it into a conference centre or commercial venture.”
The entire endeavour is expected to demand both considerable expenditure and patience from the Crown Estate.
“The whole operation is going to cost the Crown Estate a lot of money and time,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson is reportedly expected to return to the UK within the coming days.
The former Duchess of York is said to be eyeing up a six-bedroom gated property in the Home Counties at a cost of £10,000 per month.