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ITV News Correspondent Geraint Vincent has the latest after it emerged Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s brother, the King, will cover the cost of a £1.5 million bill for repairs to his former Royal Lodge home
The King has privately made funds available for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s repair and restoration costs on the Royal Lodge, ITV News understands.
Charles made the money available to his brother through his private income to ensure the Crown Estate was reimbursed.
On Friday, it was announced that Andrew’s lease on the Royal Lodge had been officially surrendered – with the Crown Estate receiving £1.5 million after £302,000 compensation he was entitled to was deducted from the £1.8 million in dilapidation costs.
The funds made available by the King will cover the £1.5 million payment, ITV News understands.
Andrew was entitled to compensation because, as per the terms of his lease on the Windsor mansion, he surrendered it within the first 25 years.
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“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,” said a spokesperson for the Crown Estate, which oversees the royal family’s land and property holdings and generates money for the Treasury.
A compensation clause was added into the terms of the lease because of Andrew’s 2005 payment of £7.5 million for refurbishment at the 30-room property, the spokesperson added.
It is understood the money made available is not for Andrew’s use on judicial review proceedings against Thames Valley Police, who accepted on Thursday that their searches of two of the former prince’s properties were unlawful.
Andrew could face months in limbo as he remains in a legal battle over whether evidence obtained during searches at the Royal Lodge and his residence on the Sandringham Estate can be used in the force’s investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.
The King made the money available to his brother through his private income Credit: PA
The former Duke of York moved out of the Royal Lodge in Windsor earlier this year as files related to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein were released by the US Department of Justice.
He was forced to move into Marsh Farm on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, amid public outcry about the rent he paid on the Royal Lodge.
In June, a National Audit Office investigation revealed that the late Queen’s second son received an undisclosed private income from subletting three cottages on the Royal Lodge estate while paying a peppercorn rent for more than two decades.
The Crown Estate spokesperson said the property will now be marketed by two nationally recognised agents for its proposed future use.
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