Prince Andrew latest: Royal Lodge lease ‘was redacted to conceal that Andrew paid no rent’

Broadcast crews and photographers gathered outside the gates of Royal Lodge on Thursday evening amid speculation there could be further developments in the long-running controversy surrounding the late Queen’s second son.

Friends of the prince reportedly told The Telegraph that Andrew believes the King is trying to force him out of the mansion because he wants it as a base for the Queen in Windsor should she outlive him.

Buckingham Palace strongly denied this was the King’s plan.

Prince Andrew’s “peppercorn” rent on his Royal Lodge home was concealed in a redacted lease, it has been claimed, as pressure continues to grow on the royal.

The allegations emerged as the King’s brother faces increasing calls to vacate the 30-room mansion amid the continuing furore over his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the publication of the posthumous memoirs by his sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre. Andrew strenuously denies all accusations.

The Times reported that a redacted version of Andrew’s lease on the Crown Estate property in Windsor Great Park was submitted to the Land Registry in 2003. Compared with the full lease released this week, it reportedly read “’Rent’ means” rather than “’Rent’ means one peppercorn (if demanded)”, and also “To pay the Rent” rather than “To pay the Rent if demanded”.

The newspaper said the decision not to reveal such details was legal. But the move raises questions as to why how much Andrew was paying was seemingly hidden from the public.

The powerful Public Accounts Committee has already confirmed it is writing to the Crown Estate and the Treasury asking for further information about the prince’s lease.

Prince Andrew’s coat of arms banner has reportedly been removed from its position in Windsor Castle in a fresh blow for the royal.

The ceremonial banner bearing the prince’s heraldic insignia is no longer up in St George’s Chapel, the Mirror has reported.

This normally only happens in situations like when someone commits high treason or takes up arms against the Crown.

Pressure is mounting on Prince Andrew to give up his 30-room mansion after it emerged he has paid a “peppercorn rent” on the property for more than 20 years.

The Public Accounts Committee is to write to the Crown Estate and the Treasury to raise “a number of questions” about Andrew’s lease on the property.

A copy of the leasehold agreement, shared by the Crown Estate shows Andrew signed a 75-year lease on the property in 2003.

It reveals he paid £1 million for the lease and a further £7.5 million for refurbishments completed in 2005, but that since then he has paid “one peppercorn” of rent “if demanded” per year.

Senior Tory Robert Jenrick said it was “about time Prince Andrew took himself off to live in private” as “the public are sick of him”.

Sir Keir Starmer said there should be “proper scrutiny” of Andrew’s rent-free mansion, in response to calls for a parliamentary inquiry at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Stephen Flynn has urged the Prime Minister to let the SNP act to strip Prince Andrew of his Duke of York title if the Government does not.

The SNP’s Westminster leader and Aberdeen South MP has urged the Government to act “swiftly” on the issue as the scandal surrounding Andrew’s friendship with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of abuse against Virginia Giuffre rumbles on.

Mr Flynn said if ministers “don’t feel able or don’t feel comfortable” to act, the SNP should be granted an opposition day debate in the House of Commons to force a vote on stripping the title and launching a probe into Andrew’s finances and living arrangements.

But a Number 10 spokesman said the royal family “would not want to take time from other important issues”, with the Government refusing to allocate parliamentary time to discuss the situation.

“Prince Andrew has already confirmed he will not use his titles,” the spokesman said.

Last Friday, Prince Andrew voluntarily relinquished his titles and said he would stop using his Duke of York title to avoid distracting from the work of the royal family.

However, it would take an Act of Parliament for his dukedom and titles to be formally and officially removed.

Legislation has been used before to strip titles, notably descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who were on the German side in the First World War.

The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 remains in force but as it refers specifically to the First World War, its provisions are unlikely to be relevant today.

The Government has indicated that it would not introduce any legislation to strip Andrew of his titles unless the King wanted to.

Prince Andrew has lived at the 30-room Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor Great Park for more than 20 years.

A copy of the leasehold agreement, shared by the Crown Estate shows Andrew signed a 75-year lease on the property in 2003.

It reveals he paid £1 million for the lease and that since then he has paid “one peppercorn” of rent “if demanded” per year.

He was also required to pay a further £7.5 million for refurbishments completed in 2005, according to a report by the National Audit Office.

The agreement also contains a clause which states the Crown Estate would have to pay Andrew around £558,000 if he gave up the lease.

The Public Accounts Committee is to write to the Crown Estate and the Treasury to raise “a number of questions” about Andrew’s lease on the property.