Andrew’s 31-room Royal Lodge mansion up for grabs after he was forced out by King – but with VERY strict rules

ANDREW Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home Royal Lodge is up for grabs – but owning the luxury pad comes with very strict rules. The disgraced former Prince was unceremoniously booted out of the 31-room mansion by older brother King Charles last year. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home Royal Lodge is up for grabs Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Andrew passed his 75-year lease on the Lodge back to the Crown Estate amid the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein affair Credit: AP But the ex-Duke of York only vacated the property in February, before moving to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Andrew’s daughter’s Beatrice and Eugenie were initially set to take over the £30million home in Windsor, Berkshire. Sign up for the Royals newsletter Thank you! But their disgraced dad, 66, passed his 75-year lease on the Lodge back to the Crown Estate amid the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein affair. It means that Andrew remains legally responsible for the home – which he shared with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson – until October. Andrew and former wife Fergie moved into the luxury pad in 2003 Credit: WireImage The hunt for a suitable lodger is reportedly underway, Credit: Doug Seeburg Once this date has been passed, the Crown Estate will be able to lease the Lodge to a private tenant. But it also means no renovations can take place until then, despite the building’s “dilapidated” condition. And the hunt for a suitable lodger is reportedly underway, with none of the Royal Family keen to inherit the property, according to the Mail. However, potential suitors must pass strict security checks and be able to afford the upkeep – believed to be around £400,000 a year. Most read in Royals A source told the Mail on Sunday: “The Crown Estate is a business, so the bean counters there are relieved Andrew didn’t give up his lease early… “The ongoing costs would have become their obligation, not Andrew’s.” Question marks are now being raised over the future of the mansion, with the Crown Estate still set to assess its condition. But if he does so, it would potentially leave the Crown Estate with a bill for its monthly costs. Claims that Queen Camilla could inherit the six-bed property if Charles dies before her have been widely refuted. And William and Kate have no interest in the mansion, after securing a deal on nearby Forest Lodge with a 20-year lease. Charles made several attempts to get Andrew out in what was dubbed by royal insiders as the Siege of Royal Lodge. But the shamed ex-prince skulked out of Royal Lodge under the cover of darkness as he started his exile in February. Royal Lodge formerly belonged to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Mother returned to the Windsor home following the death of her husband, before her own passing in 2002. Andrew entered into the 75-year lease the following year with ex-wife Fergie, despite the couple divorcing seven years earlier. Last week, we revealed how Sarah Ferguson was set to come back to the UK from her exile – fresh off the back of Harry and Meghan’s return. Fergie, 66, is renting a £10,000-a-month, six-bed property as she plots a comeback after the Jeffrey Epstein storm. Her new gated home is situated in the Home Counties, though The Sun is not revealing the specific location.