King Charles is understood to have stepped in to cover the repair bill left after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor vacated Royal Lodge, which requires £1.8million of remedial work.
The former Duke of York was removed from the Windsor property earlier this year amid renewed scrutiny of his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
After spending two decades at the 30-room mansion while paying only a nominal rent, Andrew left the property requiring £1.8million in ‘dilapidations’ before it could be leased again, according to newly revealed figures.
However, independent assessors concluded that £302,000 should be deducted from the total because Andrew’s lease was ended before its agreed term.
King Charles is now believed to have ‘felt obliged’ to loan his brother £1.5million from his private funds, ensuring the repairs did not fall on taxpayers.
With financial help from the King, Andrew has settled the repair costs. The work is understood to have included extensive repairs to an outbuilding, along with improvements to the main house and restoration of the gardens.
Andrew took possession of Royal Lodge in 2003 after paying £7.5million for renovations. He subsequently remained there for 20 years while paying a ‘peppercorn’ rent.
Following his departure, the Crown Estate has disclosed the scale of the work required to bring the property back into a lettable condition.
Royal Lodge had reportedly deteriorated, with cracks and mould visible on its exterior walls
The Crown Estate said: ‘The former tenant has fully vacated and paid £1.8million for dilapidations. This sum was informed and reviewed by independent advisers.
‘The amount of compensation the tenant is entitled to for surrendering the lease in October 2026 is circa £302,000.
‘Therefore, the overall net amount received by The Crown Estate is £1.5million.’
The £302,000 compensation figure reduces the repair charge from £1.8million to £1.5million. Andrew does not receive the money directly as a cash payment.
The King is believed to have provided the full £1.5million owed to the Crown Estate, covering the work required at Royal Lodge.
Buckingham Palace has previously said that Charles makes ‘provision’ for his brother, who would otherwise risk becoming a cost to taxpayers.
Sources told the Mail that, despite his personal feelings, the King felt ‘obliged’ to lend Andrew the money so the Crown Estate could be paid without delay and his brother would not draw on public finances.
The sources said Charles believes that if Andrew must rely on someone financially, that responsibility should fall on him rather than the taxpayer—regardless of any private disagreement between the brothers.
It remains unclear whether Charles will ever recover the money he has ‘loaned’ Andrew, and Buckingham Palace has no intention of discussing the issue publicly.
The fact that Andrew needed the loan has nevertheless added weight to reports that the former prince now has very limited personal wealth or income.
Claims that the King provides his brother with an annual allowance approaching £1million are understood to be ‘wide of the mark’, although the sum involved is still believed to be substantial.
However those with knowledge of the situation insist it is a drop in the ocean, compared to the ex-prince’s previous outgoings.
As to why the king feels he should bankroll his brother in any capacity any more, the concern amongst those in the royal household appears to quite simple: if the king doesn’t help him out, who on earth would he go cap in hand to?
And based on Andrew’s previous form, that could prove even more problematic than he situation he currently finds himself in.
Andrew and Sarah Ferguson lived for years together in Windsor despite being divorced. After Andrew was evicted earlier this year, assessors found Royal Lodge needed £1.8m repairs
The repairs needed to the delipidated mansion can be seen easily from the outside
Asked when the King expected Andrew to repay the money ‘loaned’, palace sources said that was ‘a private matter’ between His Majesty and Mr Mountbatten-Windsor.
The timing of the loan come only a day after it emerged Andrew has been funding a legal challenge to the police raid on Royal Lodge earlier this year.
But royal sources insisted it was a coincidence, and the two matters were separate. The surrender of the lease on royal Lodge had to conclude by October 30. It emerged at the High Court on Thursday this week that the former prince took out a judicial review against Thames Valley Police and the Old Bailey judge who approved the search warrants on his homes in February.
The King banned his brother from using his money to pay for the judicial review. Asked if Charles was funding the repair bills loan in order to free up cash for Andrew to afford his legal fight, palace sources stressed that none of the Monarch’s money should be used for the court battle.
The disgraced former prince lived in the grandiose home set in 98 pristine acres of Windsor Great Park rent-free since 2003 until January or February this year.
He paid just ‘one peppercorn (if demanded) per annum’ – according to his lease.
Royal Lodge, the lavish Windsor mansion Andrew shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson
Extracts from Prince Andrew’s lease with the Crown Estate showing his ‘one peppercorn’ annual rent
Prince Andrew and Charles attend a Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in June 2012
Repairs needed include repainting external walls
The shocking state of the Duke of York’s 30-room Windsor Royal Lodge
The lease Andrew signed in 2003 stated he had a responsibility to ‘repair, renew, uphold, clean and keep in repair and where necessary rebuild’ the home
The Crown Estate is an independent commercial body whose profits go to the Treasury but is obliged to get the best value for the public.
It said the Royal Lodge lease has been handed back more than 50 years early, ‘which means additional value can be generated much sooner than expected’.
The Crown Estate said in a statement: ‘We can confirm the lease for Royal Lodge with former tenant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been surrendered.
‘The lease has been handed back more than 50 years early – which means additional value can be generated much sooner than expected.
‘As per the terms of his lease, the tenant was entitled to receive compensation if the lease was surrendered within the first 25 years. This term was included in the lease to reflect the significant (c.£7.5m) refurbishments made by the tenant at the start of the lease. The amount of compensation the tenant is entitled to for surrendering the lease in October 2026 is c.£302k.’
A spokesman said: ‘The lease for Royal Lodge has ended and our focus now is firmly on its future use and the opportunities to generate additional financial value for the nation from its early return.’
It has a statutory duty to maintain the character of the Windsor Estate as a Royal park and forest.
It said the lodge would now be marketed for its proposed future use ‘by two nationally recognised agents’.
