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Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondent
EPA
The watchdog study examined the 12 royal properties of Andrew and his family
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received an undisclosed rental income from sub-letting 3 cottages connected the Royal Lodge property that helium leased from the Crown Estate, the nationalist spending watchdog has revealed.
The National Audit Office (NAO) study besides revealed that the King pays the rent for accommodation successful royal palaces for Mountbatten-Windsor's daughters Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, who are not moving royals.
It is the archetypal study into royal residences successful 20 years and shows Mountbatten-Windsor and his household and unit had 12 properties, owned by the Crown Estate oregon the Royal Household.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the study was "in enactment with the Royal Household's committedness to transparency".
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Mountbatten-Windsor was pictured driving adjacent his location connected the Sandringham property connected Thursday with what appeared to beryllium a ample bruise connected his cheek
The watchdog study into royal residences shows that Princess Eugenie has a spot successful Kensington Palace and Princess Beatrice successful St James's Palace.
They bash not wage immoderate rent for this cardinal London accommodation, alternatively it is paid by the "privy purse", which is the monarch's idiosyncratic money, to the Royal Household.
Both of the palaces are maintained by nationalist funding, done the Sovereign Grant.
Norman Baker, erstwhile Home Office curate and professional of royal finances, said it was "outrageous to subsidise luxury accommodation" successful this mode and that the nationalist was "being taken for a ride".
He said specified arrangements should nary longer beryllium sustainable and that "deference is wearing bladed indeed".
A Palace root said that the rent paid connected these properties for non-working royals would screen immoderate publicly-funded expenditure, truthful determination would beryllium nary other outgo to the Sovereign Grant, which pays for the authoritative duties of the monarchy.
The study does not specify however overmuch rent is paid connected the princesses' palace property, but the level is meant to beryllium 60% of the unfastened marketplace rate.
The NAO study was prompted by the ungraded surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor - and volition beryllium followed by an enquiry by MPs connected the Public Accounts Committee.
It shows a postulation of 12 properties utilized by Mountbatten-Windsor and his family.
Even though Mountbatten-Windsor near Royal Lodge earlier this year, moving to Sandringham successful Norfolk, helium inactive has the lease connected Royal Lodge until October 2026.
There is nary proposition successful the NAO study of immoderate wrongdoing by Mountbatten-Windsor.
As good arsenic the main gathering astatine Royal Lodge, determination were different 8 adjacent properties, with Mountbatten-Windsor's lease allowing 3 of these cottages to beryllium sub-let, which helium did until April 2026.
The study does not accidental however overmuch helium received successful rental income, but Palace sources suggest helium rented the spot to unit oregon retired unit and the magnitude was lone capable to screen moving costs.
Whatever the amount, it went to Mountbatten-Windsor alternatively than the Crown Estate, which would wage its profits backmost to the Treasury.
His 2 daughters person homes successful the Cotswolds and successful Portugal arsenic good arsenic their royal properties successful the palaces.
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Mountbatten-Windsor near Royal Lodge earlier this year
The study besides reveals that the Crown Estate paid for repairs worthy astir £400,000 earlier the Prince and Princess of Wales moved into their Windsor location astatine Forest Lodge.
Princess Michael of Kent, different non-working royal, besides has a spot successful Kensington Palace which is paid for by the privy purse.
Eleven moving royals person accommodation successful the palaces without complaint successful speech for their authoritative duties.
These are: the King and Queen, the Princess Royal, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra. And the Prince and Princess of Wales person an flat successful Kensington Palace, arsenic good arsenic their Crown Estate property.
The study recovered 21 different royal post-holders, including 17 subject knights, person accommodation without complaint successful the occupied palaces.
The NAO study doesn't marque immoderate judgements connected worth for wealth oregon gully immoderate conclusions, but it is intended to supply accusation for MPs connected the Public Accounts Committee.
"Our relation is to acceptable retired the facts - and that's wherefore this is an probe that sets retired the processes and the arrangements some from the Crown Estate and the Royal Household," said NAO manager Lee Summerfield.
A Palace spokesperson said it was "grateful" for the study which was "in enactment with the Royal Household's committedness to transparency".
"We anticipation that the findings volition assistance correct, clarify oregon contextualise a fig of points regarding royal properties," the spokesperson added.
"As the study notes, arrangements for properties managed by the Royal Household alteration based connected a fig of factors to guarantee residences are filled appropriately, depending connected their location, tenants and purpose," helium said.
A spokesperson for The Crown Estate, said: "The Crown Estate welcomes the National Audit Office's reappraisal which confirms its leases with members of the royal household were agreed successful enactment with independent, nonrecreational proposal and unfastened marketplace valuations."
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