An investigation has revealed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received an undisclosed private income from subletting cottages at his Royal Lodge estate, GB News reported. The findings have renewed scrutiny of how royal properties are arranged and funded, putting a fresh spotlight on the terms under which members of the royal family occupy and profit from their residences.
According to the investigation, Andrew took in private income by subletting three cottages on the Royal Lodge estate. At the same time, he himself had been paying only a peppercorn rent on the property for over two decades, a contrast that lies at the heart of the questions now being raised about the arrangement and how long it had gone unexamined.
The disclosures stem from a report by the National Audit Office, which examined how royal properties are managed. The involvement of the public spending watchdog gave the findings added weight, moving the matter beyond royal gossip and into the realm of formal scrutiny of the financial arrangements surrounding the estate.
The audit itself grew out of the debate over the peppercorn rent, a row that was sparked when Andrew was removed from Royal Lodge. What began as a dispute over the favourable terms of his own occupancy ultimately prompted a wider examination that has now surfaced details about income and rent across royal properties.
The report did not stop at Andrew. It also revealed that the King pays the rent for the accommodation of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in royal palaces, despite both of Andrew's daughters being non-working royals. The detail drew particular attention given that the two sisters do not carry out official duties on behalf of the institution.
According to the account, that arrangement traces back to the late Queen, who had paid for the accommodation of the two sisters. When the King acceded to the throne, he took over that responsibility, continuing to cover the rent for Beatrice and Eugenie rather than the arrangement ending or passing to their father.
In response, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the Royal Household was grateful to the National Audit Office for the report, describing it as in line with its commitment to transparency. The Palace said it hoped the findings would help correct, clarify or contextualise points about royal properties, noting that arrangements vary depending on factors such as location, tenants and purpose.