Calls for inquiry into ‘all royal finances’ after Andrew subletting revelations

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received private income from subletting three cottages on his Windsor Royal Lodge estate while paying a ‘peppercorn rent’. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA View image in fullscreen Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received private income from subletting three cottages on his Windsor Royal Lodge estate while paying a ‘peppercorn rent’. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA Calls for inquiry into ‘all royal finances’ after Andrew subletting revelations MPs urged to push for ‘radical reform’ after NAO finds former prince made income from Royal Lodge properties Campaigners have called for radical reform and a public inquiry into “all royal finances” after revelations that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received an undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on his Royal Lodge estate while paying a “peppercorn rent”. A report from the public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), found the rental income went to the former Duke of York, but said: “We do not know what rent was charged.” It was published on Friday as part of a public accounts committee inquiry set up after a public outcry over revelations that the former prince was paying a peppercorn rent (a small token payment) on the Royal Lodge estate in Windsor before being evicted to Marsh Farm in Norfolk by the king. The anti-monarchy campaign group Republic and the former Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker said they would be pressing the public accounts committee for a full investigation. Republic called the subletting a “flagrant abuse of public property” and said that while serious concerns remained about the former duke’s use of publicly owned property, the whole family was “benefitting from a multimillion pound public housing scheme”. The report also revealed that Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters, the princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who do not perform royal duties, live in royal palaces with their rent met privately by King Charles, and adjusted, or discounted, owing to tenants having to be security vetted. Graham Smith, the chief executive of Republic, said: “The crown estate and royal palace property portfolio is state property. It should all be used for the benefit of the public, not the private enrichment of the royals.” He added: “MPs need to seize this moment to push for radical reform, including removing all royals but the monarch from publicly owned accommodation.” Baker called for an investigation into “all royal finances, not just Andrew’s”, adding: “I am happy to open this can of worms.” Margaret Hodge, who previously led the public accounts committee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she was “very concerned” that the NAO was not able to find out how much money the former prince had made from letting properties . View image in fullscreen The entrance gates near the Royal Lodge, the former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in Windsor, Berkshire. Photograph: Mathilde Grandjean/PA Two organisations, the crown estate and the royal household, prov