The British royal family’s living arrangements, including where they reside and how much rent they pay, has been thrust into the spotlight after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor surrendered his lease on Royal Lodge.
The 65-year-old, who until late October was known as Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is due to leave the Grade-II listed building on the Windsor Estate by February.
He’ll move into a smaller property on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk where his home will be a private affair: Sandringham is one of two owned by the monarch, along with Balmoral, and not by the Crown Estate.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in the process of moving from his taxpayer-funded property on the Crown Estate into one on the King’s private Sandringham estate. (Getty)
Andrew’s move from Royal Lodge after more than 20 years was trigged by anger over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which led to him stepping back from working duties working royal in November, 2019.
Andrew later had all his royal titles formally stripped by King Charles in October.
Soon after, it was revealed Andrew had been paying minimal rent, known as peppercorn rent, on the palatial home which is owned by the Crown Estate.
The issue has opened up scrutiny on the royal family’s homes and how much rent they pay, particularly those who live in properties owned by the Crown Estate.
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The Crown Estate
The Crown Estate is a property business owned by the monarch, but run independently.
It has hundreds of properties within its portfolio and the profits generated through rent are surrendered to the Treasury in exchange for an annual subsidy which funds the public work carried out by the royal family, known as the Sovereign Grant.
Next year, an inquiry will be held investigating the terms under which members of the royal family occupy properties owned by the Crown Estate and the rental deals made by the Crown Estate with the royals.
The future of the Royal Lodge remains unclear. (9News)King Charles and Queen Camilla
King Charles and Queen Camilla live in Clarence House in London, and not Buckingham Palace.
Both properties are part of the Crown Estate, as are many homes the royals live in.
It is not known how much rent the King pays to lease Clarence House from the Crown Estate but the building is considered a royal residence and used for many official functions throughout the year.
Clarence House, in London, is the official residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla in London. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)
Some estimates suggest the market value rent for Clarence House, due to its central London location and proximity to Buckingham Palace near The Mall, would be approximately $300k per month, or $3.4m per year.
King Charles also lives in Highgrove House, in Gloucestershire, but it is considered a private residence of the royal family.
However, the nine-bedroom Highgrove is rented by King Charles but not through the Crown Estate.
The property is leased through the Duchy of Cornwall, of which Prince William is now head of.
Inside Clarence House, where King Charles and Queen Camilla have continued to live following the change of throne in 2022. (Getty)
The King is rumoured to pay his son a six-figure annual sum to lease Highgrove from the Duchy.
Prince William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall when Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022, making him one of the UK’s biggest private landowners. William made around $45m in the 2023-2024 financial year.
The Prince and Princess of Wales
Prince William and Catherine moved into their “forever” home, Forest Lodge, in late November.
They are believed to be paying at least £15,000 (approx. $31k) a month in rent.
Forest Lodge is located in the heart of Windsor Great Park, which is part of the Crown Estate in Windsor. Andrew’s former home, Royal Lodge, is also within the Great Park.
Forest Lodge is an eight-bedroom Grade II-listed building and is believed to be nearly 330 years old.
Prince William and Catherine now live in Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, which is part of the Crown Estate. (Getty)
Last week, the Crown Estate said Prince William and Kate’s home is held under a “20-year non-assignable lease” with the Crown Estate that began on July 5 and will have “open market rent”.The Telegraph reports.
“Negotiations were conducted on an arm’s length basis, to ensure appropriate market terms were agreed,” the Crown Estate said.
Independent valuers were appointed to value the property, the Crown Estate added, while the couple received independent legal and property advice.
In 2001, the property underwent a £1.5m restoration (approx. $3m) and was put on the rental market for £15,000 (approx. $31k) a month.
The Wales’ family still have Apartment 1A inside Kensington Palace. (Getty)
It is now valued at around £16 million (approx. $33m).
Before moving in, Prince William and Kate paid for renovations and upgrades themselves, instead of using money from the Sovereign Grant which provides state funding for the monarchy.
The Wales family also live in Apartment 1A inside Kensington Palace, which is also part of the Crown Estate.
It is not clear how much rent Prince William and Kate pay for their four-storey, 20-room apartment in Kensington Palace.
Prince William and Kate have another home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk but the property is private and was a gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II. It is on the King’s private Sandringham Estate.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
Prince Edward and Sophie’s living arrangements have come under intense scrutiny following revelations they also pay peppercorn rent on their 120-room mansion, Bagshot Park, in the English countryside.
The Surrey mansion comes with 50 acres of land and became their family home in 1999.
Prince Edward, who is Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son, initially paid just £5,000 (approx. $10k) a year in rent and the lease was renewed with a one-off payment of £5m (approx. $5m) to the Crown Estate in 2007.
Bagshot Park is home to Prince Edwards and his family. (Getty)
Under the agreement, they are allowed to remain at the property for 150 years.
According to an investigation by The Times, the premium paid for the 2007 lease extension and as a down payment on future rent was “market tested” by the Crown Estate before the price was agreed.
According to modelling done by The Telegraph UK, if Prince Edward and Sophie remain at Bagshot Park for another 20 years their rent would cost them £125,000 a year (approx. $250k) or just over £10,000 a month.
Both are well below market value and the Crown Estate could earn more by renting it out to the public.
The Crown Estate had previously received two alternative offers for Bagshot Park before Edward and Sophie moved in – one for the creation of a conference centre and another to convert the property into a hotel – after the Ministry of Defence handed back its lease on the site in 1996.
The main difference between the Edinburghs and Andrew is that Prince Edward and Sophie are both senior working royals and are two of the busiest members of the King’s family.
They receive no salary and only get funds for travel and a clothing allowance.
Princess Alexandra
Another royal to find herself under the glare in recent days is Princess Alexandra, the 88-year-old sister of the Duke of Kent.
She lives inside Thatched House, in the picturesque Richmond Park in southwest London, and pays just £225 (approx. $450) a month in rent, which works out at approximately £56 a week.
While she is not one of the most recognisable names in the royal family, Princess Alexandra has dedicated much of her life to attending various charity events and causes on behalf of the royal family. She has been royal patron of the Alzheimer’s Society since 1990.
Princess Alexandra has lived in Thatched House, in Richmond, since 1963 but pays little rent. (Getty)
Alexandra, who is 58th in line to the throne, has lived in the Grade-II listed building with her family since 1963.
The details of Princess Alexandra’s lease were disclosed in response to questions from the public accounts committee on the property deals the Crown Estate has made with members of the royal family.
Questions have been focused on why Princess Alexandra has been allowed to live in such a luxurious property, and paying so little for the privilege, when she has a much lower profile than others within the royal family.
Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice, who is Andrew and Fergie’s eldest daughter, lives with her family in an apartment within St James’ Palace, in London.
She and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and their children Sienna and Athena, and Edo’s son Wolfie, previously shared the apartment with Princess Eugenie, according to reports.
The rent on the four-bedroom apartment used to be covered by their father, Andrew, who paid just £1,600 (approx. $3k) per month according to a recent report by the Mail on Sunday.
St James’ Palace in London contains a number of royal apartments. (Getty)
Similar apartments within St James’ Palace would typically be rented for £20,000 (approx. $40k) per month on the open market.
Over the 14 years his daughters occupied the lavish apartment, Andrew was said to have saved £3.1 million (approx. $5m).
He is not believed to be covering the cost of the apartment anymore.
Princess Beatrice and Edo also have a country home in the Cotswolds, which has six bedrooms and a newly-renovated granny flat. The couple is rumoured to have purchased the property for £3.5million (approx. $5m).
Princess Eugenie
The youngest daughter of Andrew and Ferguson, Princess Eugenie splits her time between London and Portugal, with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons, August and Ernest.
The family’s London base is Ivy Cottage, on the grounds of Kensington Palace which is run by the Crown Estate.
Kensington Palace is also home to other royals including the Gloucesters, who live in the Old Stables, and the Duke of Kent, who occupies Wren House. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have an apartment within the palace, too.
Kensington Palace houses several royals along with courtiers and palace staff. (Getty)
The sprawling address also houses members of the military, courtiers and staff connected to the royal family.
Prince Harry and Meghan used to live in Nottingham Cottage, before they moved to the bigger Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Prince Harry and Meghan once complained about the size of Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, telling their Netflix docu-series in 2022 it was “so small”.
The Sussexes lived in Nottingham Cottage when Meghan first moved to Britain and as newlyweds.
“Kensington Palace sounds very regal, of course it does,” the duchess said.
“It says ‘palace’ in the name. But Nottingham Cottage was so small.”
Prince Harry added: “The whole thing’s on a slight lean, really low ceilings. I don’t know who was there before, they must have been very short.”
Prince Harry and Meghan pictured at Nottingham Cottage, on the grounds of Kensington Palace before their move to Frogmore Cottage. (Netflix)
Nottingham Cottage is one of the smaller homes on the grounds of the palace and has two bedrooms, two reception rooms, a bathroom and a small garden.
Prince William and Kate lived their briefly with a newborn Prince George before they moved into Apartment 1A.
Harry and Meghan later moved to Frogmore Cottage in April 2019, a month before the birth of son Archie. The Windsor property was a gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Grade-II five-bedroom cottage, however, is owned by the Crown Estate.
Prior to moving in, Harry and Meghan used taxpayer money to renovate the property to make it suitable for a family home.
But they later paid back the £2.4m (approx. $4.8m) from the couple’s private income to the Sovereign Grant fund after relocating to the US and stepping back as working royals.
Before then, Prince Harry and Meghan were able to avoid paying more than $1 million in rent on the property because of the money they had returned to the taxpayer.
Prince Harry and Meghan inside Frogmore Cottage, their UK home before moving to the US. (Netflix)
That lump-sum payment cancelled out a prior agreement that the couple pay a commercial rate for the home.
Harry and Meghan were able to get out of their rental obligations due to the increased value brought on by the renovations, seen as ‘rent in lieu’. The estimated rent otherwise would have been between £150,000 and £230,000 (approx. $272,000 – $417,000) a year to rent.
In the three years they renovated Frogmore, the Sussexes may have saved up to $1.2 million.
The couple officially ended their lease on the property in 2023 and moved to the US.
They now live in Montecito inside a sprawling nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom estate located about 145kms north of the Los Angeles area in the Santa Barbara enclave.
The couple is said to have paid around $30m for the home.
Princess Anne, the Tindalls and Peter Phillips
The Princess Royal has lived at Gatcombe Park since 1976 when the 730-acre property was gifted to her by Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present.
It was bought for a rumoured sum of between £500,000 – £750,000 (approx. $1m – $1.5m) before it was renovated.
The Grade II-listed property features five main bedrooms, four secondary bedrooms, four reception rooms, a library, a billiard room and a conservatory.
Princess Anne’s Home, Gatcombe Park, in Gloucestershire. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)
Princess Anne’s two adult children also live on the estate: Zara and Mike Tindall moved in to the nine-bedroom converted farmhouse, Aston Farm, in 2013, and live there with their three children Mia, Lena and Lucas. Peter Phillips also lives on the estate with his daughters, Isla and Savannah.
The Princess Royal transformed the historic home into a working farm to earn money for its upkeep.
She previously told Countryfile: “It’s really nice to come back and just be yourself in an area like this. Being able to take on a place like this – for me, I’ve got to make it work. This is not something that comes free, this has got to pay its way, otherwise I can’t stay here.”
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