A National Audit Office (NAO) report on royal residential property arrangements finds that former Prince Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) receives undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on the Royal Lodge estate in Windsor. The report says Andrew pays a “peppercorn rent” to the Crown Estate while taking rental income privately from the cottages, and it notes that the NAO does not know what rent was charged for the sublets.
The reporting also says the NAO’s findings extend beyond Andrew’s arrangements. The NAO identifies that King Charles pays an “adjusted” rent from his private Duchy of Lancaster income for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to live in royal palaces, with both described in the coverage as “non-working royals” who do not carry out royal duties. Other coverage states that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh also benefited from subletting involving Crown Estate property.
Following the findings, MPs and campaigners call for broader scrutiny and, in some cases, inquiries into “all royal finances” and potential reforms to royal financial arrangements.
