'Prince Andrew could refuse to leave Royal Lodge even if King Charles tries to evict him'

Prince Andrew is now facing mounting pressure to give up his Royal Lodge home - on which he has barely paid rent for more than 20 years - and one MP has now even blasted the royal

View 2 Images

Attempts to evict Prince Andrew from Royal Lodge would be "a waste of time," according to legal experts.

Although the prince has barely paid any rent on the sprawling mansion for more than 20 years, his and Sarah Ferguson's "cast iron" leasehold doesn't expire until 2078. Andrew paid £1million for the lease in 2003 under his name and that of his family, it is believed.

Legal professionals say this means trying to get the couple kicked out of the property with its 96-acre grounds within Windsor Great Park would be almost impossible. The comments serve as a hammer blow to the growing clamour for Andrew, 65, to be evicted, pressure even backed by an MP who branded the royal as an "embarrassment" yesterday.

But property lawyer Mike Hansom said: "Any attempt to get Andrew out would be a waste of time as he bought the house on a 75-year lease agreement and therefore is legally entitled to live in the property until 2078. He would either have to agree to leave by mutual consent or can only be forced to leave if he has failed to adhere to the tenants covenants in the lease, which is unlikely."

View 2 Images

The lawyer, a partner at BLB Solicitors, has spoken out after a damning YouGov poll has shown 80% of the British public want Andrew to be formally stripped of his Duke of York title. While Andrew decided he will no longer use the title, pressure is building for an act of parliament to be passed to formally strip the prince of the tag.

Evicting him out of the Berkshire pad would also involve a long-drawn-out process, according to other property experts. Henry Sherwood, an expert in the field and an estate agent, told the Daily Mail: "He has lease to rent it but there is a peppercorn agreement so he only pays a nominal amount, usually just £1 so they can say he pays for it.

"Unless there are any break clauses then the lease is valid for the full term and he cannot be evicted. However, they may be able to find an ancient by law, etcetera, saying only available to royalty."

The Royal Lodge is near Forest Lodge, also in Windsor Great Park. The latter is set to become the new "forever home" of the Prince and Princess of Wales and their young family, as they look to move from Adelaide Cottage - and recent bad memories with which they may associate it.

But it was reported last week Prince William, 43, would not want his uncle "living it up" in the nearby mansion. William is expected to lead "huge change" during his monarchy and insiders have suggested Andrew, the Duke of York, should be wary of this.