NAO Report Reveals Royal Property Arrangements

The UK's National Audit Office (NAO) has published a detailed report on royal property arrangements, revealing significant financial details about leases held by members of the Royal Family. The report shows that Prince Andrew sublet three cottages on his Windsor Royal Lodge estate while paying a nominal 'peppercorn rent' to the Crown Estate.

The NAO's review examined property agreements between the royal family and both the Royal Household and the Crown Estate, revealing that some leases were based on commercial valuations while others involved negligible rent payments. The report also highlighted that seven official residences at Kensington Palace and St James’s Palace are provided at no charge to working royals in exchange for their public duties.

According to Daily Mail, Prince Andrew's daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, have never personally paid a penny in rent despite living in exclusive palace properties for nearly two decades. Despite not performing any royal duties, the sisters were secretly subsidized by Queen Elizabeth II and continue to be supported by King Charles.

The findings have sparked criticism from figures like Margaret Hodge, former chair of the public accounts committee, who expressed concern that the NAO was unable to establish how much Prince Andrew earned from subletting properties. Campaigners have called for radical reform and a public inquiry into all royal finances after revelations that Prince Andrew received an undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on his Royal Lodge estate.

The report also revealed that King Charles pays adjusted rents from his private Duchy of Lancaster income for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to live in royal palaces. The Prince and Princess of Wales pay £307,200 per year in rent for their home, Forest Lodge, after the Crown Estate carried out £400,000 in repairs before they moved in.