Andrew surrenders Royal Lodge lease early

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has surrendered the lease on Royal Lodge more than 50 years before it was due to end, with the Crown Estate reporting that it received £1.5 million after repair costs and lease compensation were accounted for. The Crown Estate said the former tenant paid £1.8 million for dilapidation and restoration work on the Windsor property. Under the lease, he was also entitled to about £302,000 in compensation because he surrendered it within the first 25 years. The compensation reduced the net amount received by the estate to £1.5 million. The Crown Estate’s figures follow a post-occupancy assessment of the property. In a letter to MPs last December, the organisation said compensation was not expected once repair costs were considered, while noting that an expert assessment was still needed. The later figures included the compensation payment. King Charles privately made funds available to his brother to cover the £1.5 million net payment, according to reports attributed to people familiar with the arrangement. No loan agreement or repayment terms have been made public, and the King has not issued a direct public statement about the reported funding.