The Duke of York has requested to end his lease on the £13,000-a-year Grade II-listed East Lodge property

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has reportedly relinquished his lease on another Crown Estate property, following his departure from Royal Lodge last year. The former Duke of York is believed to have requested to terminate his lease on the East Lodge, a £13,000-a-year Grade II-listed cottage rental near Sunninghill Park in Berkshire.

This property, situated close to his previous residence in Sunninghill Park, Berkshire, is the second within the Crown Estate to be surrendered by the King’s brother after he left Royal Lodge in late 2025. This decision comes nearly three decades after he assumed the tenancy, amid speculation about how he managed to afford it.

The BBC reports that lease documents reveal the then-Duke began his tenancy at East Lodge in February 1998, initially paying up to £3,500 annually for the Crown Estate Property. According to the same documents viewed by the national broadcaster, that rent has surged by nearly £10,000 over the subsequent almost 30 years, reports the Mirror.

The property was located near his significantly larger former personal home in Sunninghill Park, Berkshire, and was thought to have been used for staff accommodation. He reportedly maintained his tenancy of the property in an agreement with the Crown Estate, ensuring it remained in his possession months beyond his residency at Royal Lodge, which he left late last year.

The new documents will prompt questions about how he managed to afford East Lodge, the rent for which exceeded half his declared annual income.

Andrew was essentially ostracised from his family due to ongoing outrage over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with his departure from Royal Lodge in late 2025 triggered by continuous revelations. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to his relationship with the sex trafficker.

The association led King Charles III to revoke his £1million annual royal allowance in 2024. He was left with his £20,000 declared annual Naval pension to cover the costs of the 30-bedroom mansion and an estimated £3million-a-year security bill. A Royal Lodge lease released in October 2025 revealed that he paid a “one peppercorn” of rent on the mansion for over 20 years after signing a 75-year lease and paying £1 million in 2004.

According to documents viewed by the BBC, there was a clause on the rent for East Lodge that saw the rent increase with inflation, rising to £8,047 per year by the time it was renewed in 2020. Documents from late August 2025 showed the rent had risen to £12,922 in an area where rental prices range from around £2,000 to £7,500 per month.

Andrew’s tenancy was due to conclude in July 2027, but it is expected to end prematurely following BBC’s investigation into the property, according to the broadcaster. The Crown Estate stated: “Since then… we have received a request for us to consider an early termination of the lease.”