LONDON -- King Charles III paid 1.5 million pounds (US$2 million) to cover costs owed by the former Prince Andrew, his younger brother, after he was forced to move out of a crown-owned home near Windsor Castle due to his links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Charles loaned the money to his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, out of his private income to ensure that the Crown Estate was paid on time, a person familiar with the payment said Friday. The revelation came after the Crown Estate, which manages crown properties, said Mountbatten-Windsor was charged 1.8 million pounds due to the dilapidated state of the property and received a credit of 302,000 pounds as compensation for the early surrender of his lease. That left him with a debt of 1.5 million pounds, which the king paid. The Crown Estate released the figures on Friday as it announced that Mountbatten-Windsor had fully vacated the Royal Lodge, a 30-room stately home surrounded by parkland near Windsor Castle, west of London. He personally left the lodge in February. The Crown Estate is an independent company established by Parliament to manage a vast portfolio of properties throughout the United Kingdom that is nominally owned by the sovereign during his lifetime but is operated for the benefit of taxpayers. “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,” the Crown Estate said in a statement. Charles stripped his brother of his princely title and ordered him to leave Royal Lodge last year as the monarch sought to shield the rest of the royal family from the continuing scandal of Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein. The moves came as the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of documents from its investigation into Epstein, revealing previously unknown details about his links to the former prince. Mountbatten-Windsor’s continuing residence at Royal Lodge was a particularly sensitive issue for many people because he paid no rent on the house and surrounding 99.5 acres (40.3 hectares). The former prince signed a 75-year lease on Royal Lodge in 2003, when he was still a working member of the royal family, attending public events on behalf of his mother Queen Elizabeth II and serving as Britain’s special trade representative. The lease required Mountbatten-Windsor to spend 7.5 million pounds on renovating the property and make a one-time payment of 1 million pounds. Mountbatten-Windsor was entitled to compensation for the renovation expenses if he surrendered the lease within the first 25 years, the Crown Estate said. Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, gave up his role as trade envoy in 2011 and stepped away from all royal duties in 2019 because of concerns about his relationship with Epstein. After he moved out of Royal Lodge in February, Mountbatten-Windsor moved to a home on the Sandringham Estate in eastern England, which is privately owned by the king. Just days later, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to allegations that he gave sensitive information to Epstein during his time as special trade envoy. Police questioned the former prince for 11 hours and conducted searches at both Royal Lodge and his new home in Sandringham. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing related to his relationship with Epstein. A High Court judge on Thursday announced that lawyers for the Thames Valley Police and Mountbatten-Windsor had agreed that the warrants authorizing the searches were unlawful. Further court proceedings will determine what evidence uncovered during the searches will be excluded from any potential prosecution. Thames Valley Police, which covers the area around Windsor, said its investigation is continuing. By Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
