Politics

Prince Andrew Earned Up to £2,000 Monthly from Sub‑Leasing Royal Lodge Cottages

By Sean Coughlan

Prince Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor earned up to £2,000 a month by sub‑letting three cottages at his former Royal Lodge home in Windsor, while he did not pay rent himself, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found. The PAC, which is reviewing the Crown Estate’s management, noted that Mountbatten‑Windsor did not always rent out all the properties, so the total income over his more than 20‑year lease is unclear. The income went to Mountbatten‑Windsor, not to the Crown Estate, which is the landlord. MPs on the committee urged that future leases should prohibit sub‑letting unless the landlord explicitly agrees. Mountbatten‑Windsor left Royal Lodge in February after revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a claim he has denied. The PAC’s inquiry covers leases on royal properties as part of a broader review of the Crown Estate, an independent company that pays its profits to the Treasury. Mountbatten‑Windsor had taken a 75‑year lease of Royal Lodge in 2003 and paid about £7.5 million for renovations and other charges, which exempted him from rent. He intermittently sub‑leased three cottages that were intended for staff and charged them at below‑market rates, keeping the income. The Crown Estate said it had no oversight over the charges and that sub‑letting was allowed under his lease. MPs now recommend that such leases default to banning sub‑letting unless a specific exemption is granted. The PAC report also details events after Mountbatten‑Windsor’s departure: he received about £300,000 for early surrender of his lease, but a £1.8 million repair bill for dilapidations left the Crown Estate owed £1.5 million, which King Charles paid on his brother’s behalf. The report raised concerns about rent levels charged to non‑working royals housed in three royal properties, including Mountbatten‑Windsor’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. A National Audit Office report earlier this year showed that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie pay no rent for accommodation at St James’s Palace and Kensington Palace, respectively; the King pays their rent from his private income. MPs questioned whether the rent for such properties reflects current valuations and called for a consistent approach to ensure value for money. The report also criticised the Crown Estate’s concentration of urban property assets in London and the south‑east, urging a more regional spread. Administration costs had risen 129% since 2020‑21, and CEO Dan Labbad’s salary increased 106% over that period, reaching £2.3 million in 2025‑26. A Crown Estate spokeswoman said the organisation is considering the PAC’s findings and will respond in due course.