The United Kingdom’s public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, recently released a report highlighting the financial activities of former Prince Andrew and other aspects of royal family housing. According to the report, Andrew profited by subletting three cottages on the Royal Lodge estate, where he lived without paying rent for two decades.
Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, live in palace properties with controlled rents that are paid by their uncle, King Charles III. Despite being non-working royals, they benefit from living arrangements set at a fraction of the market value, with the exact rent percentage varying between 50% and 68% in recent years.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor occupied the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle, benefiting from a nominal ‘peppercorn rent’ as per a 2003 lease. The estate includes a 30-room mansion and eight cottages, three of which he was permitted to sublet for financial gain.
While the total income Andrew earned from these sublets remains undisclosed, the omission was pointed out by Margaret Hodge, a Labour member of the House of Lords. She expressed concern about the lack of clarity regarding Andrew’s earnings. The audit office conducted this review after Andrew lost his royal titles due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
In 2023, Andrew relocated to Sandringham Estate in eastern England. Earlier, he faced arrest and police questioning over allegations of misconduct in public office. Andrew consistently denies any wrongdoing and has not faced any charges.
The audit office’s findings show 11 royals receive free accommodations in exchange for their public duties, unlike Andrew and his daughters. King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Kate are among those serving official roles. William and Kate also pay substantial rent for another residence near Windsor.
Buckingham Palace commented on the audit report’s alignment with their transparency goals, hoping to clarify public perceptions about royal properties. Despite this, critics argue it demonstrates a lack of accountability for taxpayer contributions to royal expenses.
‘It’s shocking that the National Audit Office was not able to establish how much money Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor secured from the properties he let,’ stated Margaret Hodge.
Critics like Norman Baker, a former Liberal Democrat lawmaker, criticized the arrangement allowing Andrew to profit considerably through subletting properties.
On another note, documents from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal Andrew’s involvement with Epstein. Allegedly, he sent confidential trade information to Epstein during his time as the U.K. trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. The British police are assessing these allegations and have sought witnesses.
Andrew keeps a low profile since moving to Sandringham and was recently photographed with a bruise on his face. Reports suggest it resulted from a minor medical condition.