Andrew Mountbatten Windsor former home may open to tenants
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's former home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, could be leased to a private tenant from October. The Crown Estate is seeking a wealthy renter who can pass strict security checks and cover roughly £400,000 a year in upkeep. The sprawling mansion is not open to just anyone.
Key Takeaways
- Royal Lodge may be offered to a private tenant from October once Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's lease ends.
- Applicants face strict security checks and an estimated £400,000 annual upkeep bill.
- No members of the Royal Family have expressed interest in taking over the Windsor mansion.
- Renovations cannot begin until the lease formally ends, unless he surrenders it early.
For readers tracking luxury real estate and dream homes, the Windsor property is suddenly back in the commercial spotlight.
Why is Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's former home available?
Buckingham Palace announced last October that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — the former Prince Andrew — would leave Royal Lodge for a property on the Sandringham Estate. He formally moved out in February 2026 and is now living at Marsh Farm in Norfolk.
He had held a 75-year lease since 2003, paying a symbolic “peppercorn” rent to the Crown Estate. Amid fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, that lease was returned to the Crown Estate. According to The Times, the lodge can be leased from October — but only to someone who clears security vetting and can fund the huge running costs.
Who can rent Royal Lodge — and what are the rules?
Reports say the Crown Estate is hunting for a “wealthy individual,” not a royal occupant. Rumors that King Charles or Queen Camilla might take the house have been pushed back by royal sources. William and Kate are already settled nearby at Forest Lodge.
The catch is steep. Upkeep is estimated at about £400,000 a year. The Crown Estate must also preserve the character of the royal park and forest, ruling out a conference centre or other commercial conversion. King Charles has previously been linked to ambitions to rent the house for around £1 million a year, according to The Sun.
What happens to the mansion before October?
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains legally tied to the lease until the end of October. That means renovations cannot start until then, even though the building has been described as dilapidated — unless he agrees to hand over the lease a month early.
Doing so early could shift monthly costs onto the Crown Estate. A source told the Mail on Sunday the estate’s “bean counters” were relieved he did not quit early, because ongoing costs would otherwise have become their obligation.
Royal Lodge once housed King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and later the Queen Mother until her death in 2002. Andrew and former wife Sarah Ferguson moved in the following year. Now the question for Britain’s most exclusive rental market is simple: who can afford — and clear — the keys?