Prince Andrew claps back at King Charles by dragging him in legal inquiry

King Charles is he’s heading straight for a parliamentary spotlight.  

A full public inquiry is now on the horizon, and the focus is his brother Andrew’s long disputed lease at Royal Lodge, the sprawling Windsor estate Andrew has been clinging to despite years of controversy.

For years, the Duke of York has lived in the 30-room mansion under unusually generous terms, but with his links to Jeffrey Epstein still casting a long shadow, Andrew has been asked to pack up and leave 

This week, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Parliament’s watchdog for public spending revealed that it plans to open an inquiry into the Crown Estate’s dealings with Andrew. 

Newly published letters from the Treasury and the Crown Estate raised more questions than answers, prompting the committee’s chairman, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, to declare that the documents “clearly form the beginnings of a basis for an inquiry.”

He added, pointedly, that transparency and value for taxpayers remain the committee’s priority.

According to a briefing sent to MPs, the mansion is in such disrepair that the cost of “dilapidations,” a very polite way of saying the place needs major fixing.

The Crown Estate bluntly noted: “In all likelihood, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not be owed any compensation… once dilapidations are taken into account.”

Only after a full post-occupation inspection will this be confirmed, but things aren’t looking promising for the Duke. 

Without those repairs, he might have pocketed nearly £500,000 upon surrendering the lease in 2026. Instead, he appears set to walk away empty-handed.

The National Audit Office is now reviewing the documents and will present its findings in the new year.