King Charles III Covers Prince Andrew's £1.5 Million Royal Lodge Repair Bill
The monarch reportedly paid the sum to cover restoration costs after his brother vacated the Windsor estate.
King Charles III has reportedly paid a £1.5 million bill for repairs and restoration to the Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion where his brother, Prince Andrew, resided. The payment was made as Prince Andrew surrendered the lease on the property.
Prince Andrew moved out of Royal Lodge in February, a period marked by renewed scrutiny over his past associations with Jeffrey Epstein. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Following his departure, he relocated to Sandringham, with the King covering his accommodation and upkeep.
While Prince Andrew's lease on Royal Lodge was set to officially conclude in October, the Crown Estate has outlined the financial terms of its conclusion. The lease, which Prince Andrew took on in 2003 for 75 years, involved significant upfront payments, including approximately £7.5 million for repairs. This arrangement meant he did not have to pay monthly rent.
Under the terms of the original lease, he would have been entitled to compensation if he relinquished the lease within the first 25 years, with the amount decreasing annually. Had he left in October 2026, the Crown Estate would have owed him around £302,000. However, this potential compensation was superseded by outstanding costs owed to the landlord concerning the property's condition.
The Crown Estate stated it received a net sum of £1.5 million, understood to have been paid by King Charles III to prevent the Crown Estate from incurring a financial deficit. It remains a private matter whether Prince Andrew will reimburse his brother. There is no indication of how the King feels about this arrangement, nor is there any stated connection between this payment and the King's recent decision not to cover Prince Andrew's legal expenses in his dispute over search warrants.
Future plans for the Royal Lodge have not yet been finalized. It is expected that the property will be utilized to generate a commercial return, and there are currently no plans for another royal occupant. A spokesperson for the Crown Estate confirmed the end of the lease and stated their focus is on the property's future use and generating financial value for the nation through its early return.
Earlier this year, a report from the National Audit Office revealed that Prince Andrew had been subletting parts of Royal Lodge, though the income generated was not disclosed. The same report also noted that Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, had been provided accommodation in royal palaces at no cost to them, with the King covering these expenses privately.