London: Prince Andrew has fought for years to stay in a stately home near Windsor Castle despite a persistent effort to move him away from the royal family.

The reason is simple: his rent for Royal Lodge is too good to be true.

An aerial view of Prince Andrew’s home, Royal Lodge.

But with Andrew engulfed by scandal, a new question emerges: is this lease too good to last?

For years, many assumed the prince was paying handsomely to stay at Royal Lodge, a grand house that dates to about 1830 and comes with 40 hectares of lawns and woodland.

The market rent for the property was sometimes guessed at £260,000 – more than $530,000 – a year but the terms were secret. Nobody was sure how much it cost Andrew to use the home, with its 30 rooms, conservatory and surrounding cottages.

Now, with Andrew under more scrutiny than ever, the terms of the lease have been revealed. And his critics have begun a furious search for the fastest way to force him out.

Prince Andrew leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of King Charles in 2023.Credit: AP

The Times revealed on Monday that Andrew had not paid rent for years. That is because the lease........

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