need to know
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The former Prince Andrew has been asked to hand over the lease of East Lodge, a cottage near Windsor he has rented since 1998
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The former Duke of York recently moved out of his long-term home at Royal Villas
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The news follows a review of Andrew’s finances and his historic arrest on February 19.
The former Prince Andrew is giving up another royal residence.
On March 3, the BBC reported that the 66-year-old former Duke of York had been asked to hand over the lease of East Lodge, which he had rented from the royal estate since 1998.
The Crown Estate has been contacted for comment.
According to a Crown Property Office reply to the Public Accounts Committee in November 2025, East Lodge is a Grade II listed thatched cottage that Andrew began letting on commercial terms in February 1998 to a staff member who continued to live there.
East Lodge Cottage in the Berkshires.
Image source: Google Maps
Crown Estate is an independent commercial enterprise with an extensive portfolio including land, seabed and city centers across the UK. It was not owned by King Charles and its profits went to the Treasury.
According to the BBC, Andrew will be paying about $17,293 in annual rent for the property as of August 2025, a fraction of the cost in an area where two- to three-bedroom apartments can cost up to $10,000 a month.
Its latest lease is believed to end in July 2027, and an earlier eviction could be prompted after the BBC submitted a freedom of information request about the residence in January.
“Since then… we have received requests asking us to consider early termination of the lease,” the Crown Estate told the outlet.
Now legal proceedings have begun for Andrew to give up the lease, the times the report said.
It was revealed in October 2025 that King Charles’ brother had been evicted from Royal Villa, his long-time home and controversial residence where he allegedly paid “pepper rent” when the king stripped him of his royal titles. King Charles’ move comes as Prince Andrew’s relationship with late US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, comes under renewed scrutiny.
Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Image source: Shutterstock
Andrew’s alleged relationship with Epstein led to him resigning from royal duties following an interview with BBC Newsnight in November, although he denied any wrongdoing in their relationship. In January 2022, Andrew tried to dismiss the sexual assault lawsuit of Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre, but a judge rejected Andrew’s request, and Queen Elizabeth subsequently stripped Andrew of his military titles and patronage. The following month, he settled out of court with Giuffre.
People magazine has confirmed that the former Duke of York, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, officially moved out of Royal Villas in early February, leaving the 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park that he has called home since 2003. He is expected to live temporarily at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk before moving to another nearby property, which is currently undergoing renovations.
On the morning of February 19, Andrew’s 66th birthday, he was arrested at Wood Farm on suspicion of official misconduct.
(Left) On February 19, 2026, an unmarked vehicle parked outside the gate of the Royal Villas, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence in Windsor Great Park; (Right) Prince Andrew in Perth, Australia on October 2, 2019.
Photo credit: Leon Neal/Getty; Richard Wainwright/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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Authorities are investigating allegations that he shared confidential information with Epstein while serving as Britain’s trade envoy in the 2000s.
Andrew was released from police custody after about 11 hours and now faces an uncertain path. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.
Andrew’s historic arrest and the ongoing fallout surrounding his family are the subject of an exclusive People magazine cover story this week, with royal author Catherine Mayer saying “earlier, stronger intervention could have prevented this.”
Read the original article on People
