Crown Estate says no Royal Lodge payout to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The Crown Estate says it gave Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor no money when the Royal Lodge lease ended, receiving £1.5m from his representatives after a £1.8m dilapidations penalty.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has given up the lease on Royal Lodge in Windsor, and the Crown Estate has set out the financial terms of the ending of the agreement.
The Crown Estate said the lease for the 30-room mansion has ended. It said its focus is now firmly on the property's future use and on generating additional financial value for the nation from its early return. It did not mention its former tenant in its statement.
Reports said Mr Mountbatten-Windsor had been granted about £302,000 in compensation after surrendering the lease. The figure was reported as more than £300,000. One account said a Crown Estate spokesperson explained he was entitled to the money because, under the terms of the release, he surrendered the agreement within the first 25 years. Another said the lease had about 50 years left to run when he moved out.
More detailed accounts of the Crown Estate's position gave a different picture of the money. The Crown Estate said it had not given any money to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor at the conclusion of the lease. It said it had received a £1.5m payment from his representatives. That sum was the difference between what he owed because of dilapidations at the building and the amount he would have received for giving back the lease more than 50 years early. He faced a £1.8m penalty for the poor condition of the home, according to the same account. One report said he had paid £1.8m for repairs to the property.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor moved out of Royal Lodge earlier this year. He was told to leave in February after being arrested over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. He denies any wrongdoing. He is now living on the Sandringham estate.
The surrender of the lease draws a line under his time at the Windsor property. He is also being investigated by police on suspicion of misconduct in public office during his time as a UK trade envoy. Royal Lodge was searched earlier this year as part of that investigation. Police have since accepted that the warrants under which the search was carried out were unlawfully issued. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 3 or more of 4 channels | ||||
| Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received over £300,000 in compensation after the lease on Royal Lodge was surrendered. | ||||
| Reported by a few · 2 channels | ||||
| Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor denies any wrongdoing. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by ITV | |
| Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor moved out of Royal Lodge earlier this year, after being told to leave in February amid the controversy over his association with Jeffrey Epstein. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | ||
| The lease on the 30-room Royal Lodge was formally surrendered after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor paid £1.8 million for repairs. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by Channel 4 | ||
| Only on one channel | ||||
| The Crown Estate said it did not give Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor any money at the end of the Royal Lodge lease and received a £1.5 million payment from his representatives. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4's midday summary treated the compensation as a straightforward Crown Estate announcement. It reported the £302,000 figure and the surrender of the Royal Lodge lease, then tied the move to his February exit after arrest over ties to Jeffrey Epstein. It did not include the more detailed Crown Estate account that no money was paid to him, nor the £1.8m dilapidations figure.
- “The Crown Estate has announced it has granted Andrew Mountbatten Windsor £302,000 in compensation after the lease on his former home Royal Lodge in Windsor was officially surrendered.”
- “He was told to move out of the property in February after being arrested over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. He denies any wrongdoing.”
ITV1 gave the story a fuller explainer treatment, with a studio correspondent answering why he was eligible for the money. It reported the £302,000 total, the 50 years left on the lease, the £1.8m repairs payment and the Crown Estate statement on future use. It also brought in the police investigation into misconduct in public office and the unlawfully issued search warrants.
- “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been granted more than £300,000 in compensation after the lease on his former Royal Lodge home was officially surrendered.”
- “But the lease on the 30-room manor house was formally surrendered after Mr Mountbatten-Windsor had paid £1.8 million for repairs to the property.”
- “The lease for Royal Lodge has ended, they say, 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.”
5's lunchtime bulletin kept the item short. It accepted the £302,000 compensation figure and gave the Crown Estate's stated reason that he was entitled because he surrendered the agreement within the first 25 years. It omitted the dilapidations penalty, the Crown Estate's denial that it paid him money and the police investigation.
- “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been granted £302,000 in compensation after giving up his lease on his former Royal Lodge home in Windsor.”
- “A Crown Estate spokesperson said the former prince was entitled to the money because, as per the terms of his release, he surrendered the agreement within the first 25 years.”
BBC ONE West led with an on-location correspondent in Windsor and gave the most detailed account of the money. It reported the headline compensation figure, then clarified that the Crown Estate said it had paid him nothing and had received £1.5m from his representatives. It also reported the £1.8m penalty, the Crown Estate statement and the fact that the lease ending draws a line under his time in Windsor.
- “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been granted more than 300,000 pounds in compensation after the lease on his former Royal Lodge home in Windsor was officially surrendered.”
- “He has faced a £1.8 million penalty for the poor condition of his former home.”
- “The Crown Estate say they have not given any money to him at the conclusion of his lease, and they have now received the £1.5 million payment from his representatives.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.