(MENAFN- Live Mint) Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who has been under the scanner over his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reportedly made £15 million. Courtesy? The Sunninghill Park, which was a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth.

According to a report by The Sunday Times, a trust structure set up by the late Queen allowed the former Duke of York to sell his Sunninghill Park – a 12-bedroom mansion which was originally owned by the Crown Estate.

Usually, any profits from Crown Estate – which is separate from the monarch's private property – go directly to the UK Treasury and contribute towards public spending.

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Despite being a Crown Estate, the mansion was privately sold after Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and their two children, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice moved out and settled in Royal Lodge.

Who paid £15 million for the estate?

In 2007, Prince Andrew received an offer of £15 million for Sunninghill Park from Timur Kulibayev - a billionaire and the son-in-law of Nursultan Nazarbayev – the then president of Kazakhstan, reported The Times.

Despite being a Crown Estate, the mansion was privately sold after Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and their two children, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice moved out and settled in Royal Lodge.

At the time, Andrew was serving as UK's international trade envoy and had developed close ties with Kazakhstan - ties that later drew scrutiny. In 2016, a report by the Daily Mail even alleged the Duke of acting as a 'private fixer' for Kazakh businesses.

Where did the £15 million go?

The Times reported that £7.5 million of the profits were used for the refurbishment of the Royal Lodge, a crown-owned estate where he lived virtually rent-free until 30 October, when it was announced that his lease would be revoked.

The news of the sale of the Sunninghill Park comes days after Andrew, who stripped of his title as a prince on Thursday. He, however has retained his rank as a Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy after giving up his other military positions in 2022.

Why is Andrew under pressure?

The former prince has lost all of his Royal titles and privileges following months of pressure over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Also Read | Andrew urged to 'come clean' on Epstein ties after losing royal title

Andrew, however, has always denied wrongdoing, mentioned a report by BBC.

Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein

Andrew's royal standing has witnessed a steady decline since 2019, when his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein - who died in prison awaiting trial for sex trafficking - became public. Andrew stepped back from royal duties and later settled a civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault - allegations he has consistently denied.

Also Read | 'Ordinary girl brought down a prince': Giuffre's family on Andrew's downfall

With this latest move, King Charles has made clear there is no path back to public life for his younger brother.

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