King Charles III has moved to reclaim Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park from his brother, Prince Andrew, a step that would permanently sever the Duke of York family's claim to one of the Crown's most valuable residential assets and erase a potential £30 million inheritance for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, according to people familiar with the matter.
The 30-room mansion, valued at about £30 million, has been occupied by Prince Andrew since 2003 under a 75-year lease agreement with the Crown Estate. That lease, long viewed as the foundation of the York family's residential and financial security, is now being unwound as part of the King's broader effort to streamline the monarchy and distance the institution from his brother.
The decision follows renewed public scrutiny in October of Prince Andrew's past association with Jeffrey Epstein. According to people briefed on the process, the King has issued notice requiring the surrender of the lease and has initiated steps to remove Andrew's remaining formal royal designations tied to property and status.
Property specialists say the implications for Andrew's daughters are significant and irreversible. Elliot Castle of We Buy Any Home said: "[This] would only have been possible while the lease remained in place. Once that lease is surrendered or terminated, there is nothing to pass on. From a property standpoint, that closes the door entirely."
Under the original agreement, Andrew's lease granted unusually strong occupancy rights, allowing him to invest heavily in the estate and fueling long-held assumptions that the property would eventually pass to Beatrice and Eugenie. Those assumptions no longer apply. "Royal Lodge would revert fully to the Crown Estate, with no residual claim for Andrew or his daughters," Castle said.
The financial impact extends beyond future inheritance. Estimates suggest Andrew faces losses of roughly £500,000 linked to improvements and long-term expenditures that cannot be recovered once the lease is surrendered. "The key point here is that Royal Lodge is not just a home-it's a valuable long-term leasehold asset," Castle said. "Initiating a formal process to remove Andrew earlier than expected effectively strips away the remaining financial and practical value of that lease."
People close to the situation say the transition is expected to be completed by Easter, with Andrew relocating to a smaller residence on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. While less prominent, the move would mark a decisive downgrade in standing within the royal housing hierarchy.
Princess Eugenie currently divides her time between Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace and Portugal, where she lives with her husband, Jack Brooksbank, and their children. Princess Beatrice resides in the Cotswolds with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and their family. Both have established independent lives, but the loss of Royal Lodge removes what had been the York family's last major legacy property.
