King Charles pays £1.5m Royal Lodge bill, BBC reports

King Charles has paid a £1.5m bill linked to the condition of Royal Lodge, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home in Windsor, the BBC reports. It says it understands the money came from the King’s private income and that the Crown Estate, the property’s landlord, has received the payment. [1]

The BBC reports that a £1.8m charge for repairs and other “dilapidations” was reduced by £300,000 that Mountbatten-Windsor would otherwise have received for surrendering his lease early. The Crown Estate says it paid him nothing when the lease ended and received the resulting £1.5m, according to the BBC.

Mountbatten-Windsor moved out in February, but his lease remained in place until October. He had taken a 75-year lease in 2003, making upfront payments that included about £7.5m for repairs instead of paying monthly rent, the BBC reports.

It is not known whether he will repay the King. The future use of the 30-room property has yet to be decided; the Crown Estate says it is looking at opportunities to generate financial value from its early return.