The media is working itself into a frenzy over the possibility. With Eugenie and Jack living in Portugal now, and Beatrice and Edo spending time in Italy the argument that A & S want to live close to their daughters doesn't hold water. Charles must be livid (but not quite incandescent) that his trip to the Vatican is being overshadowed by this mess. But that's the fault of the media, not Andrew. I'm sure Andrew would be very happy if nobody was talking about him.


Prince Andrew is in negotiations with the King to leave his Royal Lodge home, it was claimed today after days of public outcry over his rent-free lease agreement.

The monarch's brother is facing increasing calls to vacate the 30-room mansion amid the continuing furore over his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the publication of the posthumous memoirs by his sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre.

Yesterday, the palace seemed to be on the verge of an announcement and summoned broadcast media to Royal Lodge - before pulling back from the brink late in the evening.

The Daily Mail now understands that talks are ongoing between Andrew and the Palace.

Buckingham Palace is said to be piling pressure on the former Duke of York as the controversy surrounding him and his property in Windsor shows no sign of abating.

Key issues relating to Andrew leaving are said to be where he will live instead and the level of compensation he will receive for the millions he has spent on the home.

Royal sources claimed that the palace is strongly pushing to force Andrew out and reassure his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie that their own homes in St James's Palace and Kensington Palace respectively will be unaffected.

Andrew could potentially live in a property on one of the King's privately-owned residences such as Sandringham or Balmoral in Aberdeenshire.

But the prince is said to be keen to stay in London or Windsor near his daughters – and does not want to be sent to Norfolk or Scotland.

Claims emerged this week that the prince's 'peppercorn' rent on the Crown Estate property in Windsor Great Park was concealed in a redacted version of his lease submitted to the Land Registry more than 20 years ago.

The Times reported the 2003 redacted version, compared with the full lease released this week, read ''Rent' means' rather than ''Rent' means one peppercorn (if demanded)', and also 'To pay the Rent' rather than 'To pay the Rent if demanded'.

The newspaper said the decision not to reveal such details was legal.

But the move raises questions as to why how much Andrew was paying was seemingly hidden from the public.

The Public Accounts Committee has already confirmed it is writing to the Crown Estate and the Treasury asking for further information about the prince's lease.

Broadcast crews and photographers meanwhile gathered outside the gates of Royal Lodge yesterday evening amid speculation there could be further developments in the long-running controversy surrounding the late Queen's second son.

Friends of the prince reportedly told the Telegraph that Andrew believes the King is trying to force him out of the mansion because he wants it as a base for the Queen in Windsor should she outlive him. Buckingham Palace strongly denied this was the King's plan.

Andrew relinquished use of his Duke of York title and remaining honours last Friday in a bid to prevent distracting from the work of the monarch and the royal family, but he remains a prince, living in the grand Royal Lodge, and the scandal continues to dominate the headlines.

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The King has long been said to have tried to encourage his younger brother, who lives in the home with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, to move out, but Andrew signed a watertight 75-year lease on the property in 2003.

His leasehold agreement revealed he paid £1million for the lease and that since then he paid 'one peppercorn' of rent 'if demanded' per year.

He was also required to pay a further £7.5million for refurbishments completed in 2005, according to a report by the National Audit Office.

The agreement also contains a clause that states the Crown Estate would have to pay Andrew around £558,000 if he gave up the lease.

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