Late Queen Elizabeth's Cousin Caught in Andrew Mountbatten Windsor-Style Rent Outrage After It Emerges She Pays Only $250 a Month to Rent Luxury London Home

Princess Alexandra, the late Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, has been thrust into a fresh row over royal housing after it emerged she pays roughly $250 a month to rent a lavish London home - in a deal critics tell OK! has sparked uproar similar to the outrage over former Prince Andrew's "peppercorn" rent deal at his $40 million Royal Lodge mansion.

The veteran member of the royal family, 89, has lived in Thatched House Lodge, a Grade II-listed property in Richmond Park, southwest London, since 1963. Newly released details of her lease, disclosed to the U.K. parliament's public accounts committee, reveal she pays about £2,200 a year - around $3,015 at current exchange rates - prompting renewed questions about value for money in Crown Estate property deals.



Source: MEGAPrincess Alexandra roughly pays $250 a month to rent a lavish London home.



The Crown Estate manages properties on behalf of the Crown, surrendering profits to the Treasury in exchange for the sovereign grant that funds official duties. The issue has inflamed debate after revelations about generous arrangements for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 65, and Prince Edward, 61, who both enjoyed country properties at nominal rents.



Source: MEGAPrince Edward enjoyed country properties at nominal rents.



British members of parliament have launched an inquiry into whether these arrangements deliver adequate returns for taxpayers.A source close to the inquiry said: "The reaction has been swift because many see clear parallels with the Andrew case. Once again, a senior royal appears to be occupying an exceptionally valuable property on terms that fall well short of the open market, prompting renewed doubts about how robustly the Crown Estate pushed for the best possible deal."The insider added the comparison to Andrew's token "peppercorn rent" deal at Royal Lodge has sharpened criticism.

Alexandra, who is 58th in line to the throne and the daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, has had a long public service life. She supported numerous charities, including serving as a patron of the Alzheimer's Society since 1990, and has generally avoided controversy.

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Source: MEGAPrincess Alexandra is the daughter of Prince George.



But her favorable lease terms have drawn scrutiny despite her relatively low profile.

According to the letter to the public accounts committee, Thatched House Lodge is held under two leases. In 1971, Alexandra paid £3,000 - about $4,110 - for a 70-year lease, with annual rent initially £410 ($562) and rising to £700 ($959) after 2006. A separate 1995 lease cost her a £670,000 premium - approximately $918,000 - for a 150-year term, with rent starting at £1,010 ($1,383) and rising in stages. Altogether, the current combined annual rent of about £2,200 equates to roughly $3,015 - a figure critics say is absurdly low compared with London market rates. Another source said: "While substantial sums were paid at the outset, the day-to-day cost of occupying the property remains strikingly low."



Source: MEGAPrincess Alexandra paid £3,000 - about $4,110 - for a 70-year lease.

"For a residence of this scale and location, the rent bears little resemblance to market reality, and that inevitably invites comparisons with the Andrew arrangement and questions about why higher returns were not pursued," they continued. The insider emphasized the optics of an elderly royal in a prime home paying a fraction of market rent are particularly sensitive against broader concerns about public finances.

The leases also reportedly lack assignment clauses, allowing Alexandra, subject to Crown Estate approval, to sell them on - a point that has further fuelled criticism. A third source said: "The Crown Estate will point to procedures and valuations to show the rules were followed, but the outcome itself has prompted legitimate concern. "When the final figures are examined, it's easy to see why MPs and members of the public are questioning whether customary deference to royalty outweighed hard-nosed commercial judgment."The inquiry is ongoing, and MPs are expected to press the Crown Estate on whether the leases - and the rents they command - truly reflect value for taxpayers.