Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has received around 302,000 British pounds in compensation after officially handing over the lease of Royal Lodge to the Crown Estate. The estate near Windsor has now been returned to the management structure, and the net payment to it amounts to 1.5 million pounds.
The compensation amount has been deducted from 1.8 million pounds set aside for the renovation and restoration of the property. Under the terms of the contract, Andrew was entitled to compensation because he terminated the lease within the first 25 years. He vacated Royal Lodge before the expiration of the contract, which provided for a longer term of use.
King Charles III covered the necessary amount from his personal funds to settle the debt to the Crown Estate. According to information cited by the Associated Press, the funds were provided to Andrew as a loan from the monarch's personal income. In the publication, cited by Page Six, the payment is described as the king's payment for the cost of repairs and restoration of the Royal Lodge.
“The contract for the Royal Lodge has ended and our focus is now entirely on the future use of the property and the opportunities to generate additional financial value for the nation from its early return“, said a Crown Estate spokesman.
The Crown Estate is an independent structure that manages properties belonging to the monarch in his capacity as king. The assets are not the personal property of Charles III and are not state property, and the income from them goes to the public finances.
Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson lived together at the Royal Lodge. After leaving, Andrew moved into Marsh Farm, a five-bedroom residence on the Sandringham Estate, which is privately owned by the king.
He stepped back from royal duties in 2019 over his links to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes. In 2022, Andrew lost his military honors and royal patronages, and was later stripped of his title.
In 2021, Virginia Giuffre accused him of sexual assault, an allegation he denied. The two reached a multimillion-dollar settlement before her death in 2025.
In October 2026, Andrew also took legal action challenging the legality of his arrest and the search warrants on his properties. The case is related to an investigation, the details of which have not been definitively clarified.