The lesser-known royal couple living rent-free – despite Palace insisting they’d foot bill | Royal | News
A royal couple is living rent-free despite the Palace once insisting the couple would pay their own rent, a new report has revealed. A new report into The Crown Estate’s residential property arrangements has been published today by the National Audit Office.
In 2008, Buckingham Palace announced that the royal couple would be charged the full commercial rate from 2010, after it was revealed that they had been paying just £69 a week in peppercorn rent in 2002. This was despite them not working as royals.
The demand by MPs on the Public Accounts Committee for full payment of rent for the property was met with the late Queen Elizabeth II. It led to Elizabeth covering the monthly cost of £10,000 until 2010.
But the NAO report reveals the couple’s rent is now paid by the King from the Privy Purse, rather than by the couple, and questions the courtier’s previous statement that he insisted the couple cover the costs of their own home.
The late Queen Elizabeth II It is thought that Elizabeth agreed to pay the couple’s rent privately and intended to continue doing so during King Charles’ reign.
It is not known what the current rent is, but the report states that it has increased by 34% between 2020 and 2026 and is 63% of the 2026 open market valuation.
According to the report, rents are paid to the Royal Household, which supports the King and working members of the Royal Family in their official duties, from the Privy Purse, which comes from the monarch’s private income from the Duchy of Lancaster.
NAO’s new report was welcomed by the Palace. A Palace spokesman said: “We are grateful to the National Audit Office for this report, which is consistent with the Royal Household’s commitment to transparency. We hope that the findings will help to correct, clarify or contextualise a number of points regarding Crown properties.”
“As noted in the report, regulations for properties managed by the Royal Household vary according to a number of factors depending on their location, tenants and purpose to ensure that residences are appropriately occupied.”
A spokesperson for The Crown Estate said: “The Crown Estate welcomes the review by the National Audit Office, which confirmed that leases with members of the Royal Family were agreed on the basis of independent, professional advice and open market valuations. We look forward to discussing the report in more detail with the Public Accounts Committee in due course.”
