King Charles Covers £1.5 million Repair Cost for Former Brother's Windsor Estate
King Charles is paying the reduced £1.5 million repair bill for Royal Lodge after Prince Andrew surrendered his lease early, while the Crown Estate will compensate the former duke for the early termination.
Prince Andrew has returned the keys to Royal Lodge, the 30-room Windsor mansion he occupied for more than two decades. The property was handed back ahead of schedule, triggering a £1.8 million repair bill that the Crown Estate reduced to £1.5 million because the former duke is entitled to compensation for surrendering the lease more than 50 years early. King Charles is covering the repair costs, though it is not yet clear whether Andrew will be required to reimburse the monarch.
The Crown Estate said the lease terms allow a tenant to receive compensation if the lease is surrendered within the first 25 years, estimating a payout of about £302,000 for the October 2026 termination. The compensation will be offset by the repair expenses, meaning Andrew will not receive the amount directly.
Royal Lodge, which Andrew began leasing in 2003 under a 75-year agreement, had required extensive refurbishment when he moved in, costing roughly $10 million. The property was described by the BBC as being in poor condition and by other media as crumbling.
Andrew was instructed to vacate the estate in October 2025, along with his former wife Sarah Ferguson. He was stripped of his royal titles last year and now resides at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. He remains under police investigation, having recently won a case challenging the legality of search warrants used in a February raid.