The Crown Estate announced on Friday, October 9, 2026, that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has fully vacated Royal Lodge and was awarded 302,000 pounds ($400,000) in compensation for the early surrender of his lease. The compensation was applied as a credit against 1.8 million pounds in charges he owed for the dilapidated condition of the 30-room stately home. King Charles III loaned his brother the remaining 1.5 million pounds ($2 million) balance from his private income to ensure the Crown Estate was paid.
King Charles III ordered his brother to leave the property last year following the release of U.S. Justice Department documents regarding Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor, who moved out of the lodge in February, had signed a 75-year lease in 2003 that required him to fund 7.5 million pounds in renovations. Because he surrendered the lease less than 25 years into the term, he was entitled to partial compensation for those renovation expenses.
The Crown Estate, an independent company that manages property nominally owned by the monarch for the benefit of taxpayers, stated that its focus is now on generating additional financial value from the property's early return. Following his departure from the Windsor estate, Mountbatten-Windsor moved to a home on the Sandringham Estate. Thames Valley Police are currently investigating him on suspicion of misconduct in public office, though a High Court judge announced on Thursday, October 8, 2026, that warrants used for searches of his residences were unlawful.
The scale of the transaction involves a total debt of 1.8 million pounds (approximately $2.4 million) for property repairs, offset by the 302,000 pound ($400,000) compensation credit. The final payment of 1.5 million pounds ($2 million) by King Charles III ensures the Crown Estate was made whole for the property's condition without leaving the debt unpaid. For a typical household, this represents the conclusion of a high-value real estate dispute involving assets nominally held by the state but occupied by a private individual.
The immediate change for Mountbatten-Windsor is his relocation to Sandringham and the ongoing legal proceedings regarding his conduct as a former trade envoy. The ruling that search warrants were unlawful may affect what evidence is permitted in future prosecution efforts. The Crown Estate will now determine the future use of Royal Lodge. Further court proceedings are expected to determine the next steps in the misconduct investigation, though specific dates for these hearings were not reported.