A review of royal residences, the first of its kind in two decades, has put the finances surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor back in the spotlight, according to Sky News. The broadcaster reported that the review revealed the former Prince had received undisclosed rental income from three cottages he sublet at Royal Lodge, the Windsor estate where he lived until he was forced out earlier this year. While he occupied the property, the report found, he himself paid only a peppercorn rent.
The findings are set out in a report by the National Audit Office, the public spending watchdog, Sky News reported. According to the broadcaster, the report stated that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor earned an income by subletting three cottages on his Windsor estate, even as the terms of his own lease drew growing scrutiny. The exact amount that he charged for the cottages, however, has not been disclosed.
The same review also shed light on the living arrangements of Andrew's two daughters, according to Sky News. The broadcaster reported that the King personally pays for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to have homes within royal palaces, despite neither of them being working royals. That disclosure has added to wider questions being raised about how royal properties are funded.
Sky News reported that the two sisters live in separate royal residences in London. According to the broadcaster, Princess Beatrice has an apartment within St James's Palace, while her sister Eugenie has a home at Kensington Palace. Their rent is already reduced because the accommodation sits inside security cordons, and the figures are based on market valuations that are now several years old.
The audit did not focus on Andrew alone, Sky News reported. According to the broadcaster, the report also examined the homes of other senior members of the family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as part of a broader look at how royal residences are used and paid for across the estate.
The review followed a turbulent period for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, according to Sky News. The broadcaster reported that he was forced to leave his 30-room mansion earlier this year, and that his departure brought with it difficult questions about the terms of his lease. Those questions in turn prompted MPs to investigate all royal properties and to ask whether taxpayers had been getting value for money.
Buckingham Palace has responded to the publication of the findings, Sky News reported. According to the broadcaster, a palace spokesperson said they hoped the findings would help to correct, clarify or contextualise a number of points regarding royal properties. The spokesperson indicated that Andrew's subletting was understood to have been to staff and their families to help pay for running costs rather than to make a profit, though how much he charged remains undisclosed.