Princess Eugenie and Beatrice face £30m inheritance blow in Prince Andrew scandal

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie looked set to inherit the sprawling 30-bedroom Royal Lodge where Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson still live – but complications arising from their parents scandals may prevent that

Prince Andrew’s associations with Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged sexual encounters with the late Virginia Giuffre are continuing to cause problems for the Royal and his family.

While the former Duke and Duchess of York’s reputations have been left in tatters over the past few months – with the recent blow being the relinquishing of their titles – their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have largely stayed out of the conversation.

But now attention is being turned to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s shared residence, Royal Lodge, which could strike a £30 million inheritance blow for the two princesses.

Despite divorcing in 1996, Andrew and Sarah have continued to live together at the sprawling Windsor mansion – and now questions are being raised over how they can afford to live in such a grand residence.

In answer to that question, it has been revealed that Andrew has a 75-year lease on the 30-bedroom property which allows him to live there until 2078, while effectively paying no rent after stumping up a lump sum for renovations when he signed the lease in 2003.

The lease agreement confirms that the Crown Estate would need to pay Andrew around £558,000 if he gave up the lease. And he would be due a £185,865 a year compensatory sum until year 25 of the agreement is reached in 2028.

It is believed Andrew had hoped to pass the Lodge to Beatrice and Eugenie.

However, experts are now suggesting this may not be possible if it involves transferring a lease to a non-working royal.

Terry Fisher, from We Buy Any Home, explained: “Andrew’s long lease, reportedly lasting 75 years, shows that he’s invested significantly in Royal Lodge, giving him strong occupancy rights. He might hope to pass the property on to his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, once he can no longer reside there.

“However, royal leases often include restrictions around succession, especially for properties intended to serve working royals. Such leases aren’t always straightforward inheritance-wise; transferring the lease to non-working members of the family could likely require the Crown Estate’s approval, especially under King Charles, who might prioritise other uses for royal properties.

“In other words, while Andrew has substantial rights under the lease, he may still face limitations in passing it on to family without special permissions.”

It seems highly unlikely that the King, nor his heir Prince William, will afford Andrew any favours. Charles, who demanded his disgraced brother rescind his royal titles, is said to be keen for him to leave the Lodge in favour of a smaller property. Last year, he also severed Andrew’s ‘£1 million-a-year’ allowance to ensure he was “no longer a financial burden”.

Prince William, meanwhile, is said to be determined to oust his uncle from royal life completely when he takes the throne.

Prince Andrew vehemently denies all accusations levelled at him.

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