Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Royal Lodge up for grabs but new tenant faces strict rules and hefty upkeep costs

The former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is understood to be hitting the rental market in the coming weeks, but any prospective tenant will have to pass strict security checks and foot a hefty annual upkeep bill.

Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park, was vacated by Andrew earlier this year after coming under pressure to leave from his brother, King Charles.

Following revelations about his friendship with the late paedophile and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew was stripped of his titles and forced to relinquish the lease on the estate and move into a more humble abode on the King’s Sandringham estate.

The property boasts a vast mansion, various outhouses and a swimming pool and has provided accommodation to senior members of the royal family for decades.

Its future as a royal home now appears in doubt with no other member of the family wanting to take up the lease, as reported by the Mail on Sunday.

Previous speculation claimed that the Prince and Princess of Wales might take on the property but Kensington Palace dismissed these rumours and the family settled in the nearby Forest Lodge, which has been described by sources as the family’s ‘forever home’.

With Andrew giving notice on the lease, which means that he remains legally responsible for the property until October despite having moved out, the future of the property will now be decided by the Crown Estate.

As such, the business entity will be able to lease Royal Lodge, providing the tenant passes stringent security checks and can afford to maintain the upkeep of the property, estimated to cost around $750,000 AUD a year.

A source told the Mail on Sunday: “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.”

Any prospective tenant would also have to grant the royal family access to the Royal Chapel of All Saints, which sits within the grounds and has a longstanding connection to the monarchy, with Princess Beatrice’s – Andrew’s eldest daughter – wedding taking place at the site in 2020.

The estate was also the beloved country home of the late Queen Mother, who lived there with her husband King George VI before her death in 2002.

Following his grandmother’s death, Andrew signed a lease on the property and spent millions refurbishing the main house and other buildings on the estate.

Despite divorcing in 1996, he lived there with his former wife Sarah Ferguson until their forced departure.