Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson can't do as they please in £30m home: Here's why

Despite getting divorced in 1996, Prince Andrew and Sarah Fergusonstill live together at the Royal Lodge in Windsor. The couple does not own the property and leases it from the Crown Estate. The lease comes with a bunch of rules and regulations.

Prince Andrew’s lease at the Royal Lodge

Prince Andrew and Fergie have lived at the Royal Lodge since 2004. As mentioned above, they don’t own the property. They have a lease from the Crown Estate and the agreement was fixed with a £1 million one-off payment, as reported by Hello!.

Royal Lodge is a Grade II listed property, meaning it has a certain upkeep that needs to be respected. A report published in 2005 notes that the agreement ‘requires that the character of the property be maintained as a Royal Park and forest.’

So what does this actually mean?

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Rules of the lease at Royal Lodge

Since there is a lease, that means Prince Andrew and Fergie must follow certain rules. One of the rules in the contract is that the Duke is responsible for all refurbishment costs needed to restore and upkeep the historical property.

The report explains that the investment is £5 million and then £7.2 million after the first two years of moving in.

Moreover, since Royal Lodge is a Grade II listed building, Prince Andrew would require permission if he wanted to alter any aspect of the building. This is to make sure that the changes align with the history of the home.

The Duke signed a lease for the property for 75 years.

Sources used:

Hello!: ‘Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's super strict rules at £30m home Royal Lodge’

THE CROWN ESTATE – PROPERTY LEASES WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY