How Much Kate Middleton, Princess Eugenie & More Royals Pay in Rent

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It’s been revealed that King Charles III, as monarch, is responsible not only for maintaining a steady presence but also for financially supporting many members of his family.

A recent report from the National Audit Office shows that King Charles, who manages the royal family’s private funds, has been paying for more than just his own homes. He’s also covered expenses for where Prince William and Kate Middleton live, as well as residences used by his brothers Princes Edward and Andrew, and daughters Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice.

As a long-time follower of the Royal Family, I was really concerned to learn that Parliament asked for an audit after everything that happened with Prince Andrew. It all stemmed from the serious allegations connecting him to Jeffrey Epstein, and ultimately led to the King removing his royal titles and asking him to leave Royal Lodge – his 30-room home. It’s been a really difficult situation for everyone involved, and I think the audit is a necessary step to ensure transparency.

Buckingham Palace explained in a statement last October that these criticisms were still considered essential, even though the individual involved maintains his innocence.

The report revealed that eleven working members of the royal family live in palace accommodations without paying rent. Some, including a 66-year-old who is currently staying at King Charles’s Sandringham Estate, even generate income from their arrangements. For example, the former prince is permitted to rent out three properties on his 98-acre estate in Berkshire, England.

The exact amount of money he made remains unknown. Margaret Hodge, a Labour member of the House of Lords and former chair of the Public Accounts Committee, expressed her concern that the National Audit Office couldn’t determine how much money Prince Andrew earned from renting out his properties.

And she’s not the only person refusing to keep calm. 

Former Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker criticized the situation as disrespectful to taxpayers, pointing out that Andrew was able to rent a large property for a very low price and then seemingly profited significantly by subletting other properties.

Buckingham Palace hasn’t officially responded to the report, but a representative from the Crown Estate stated they are pleased with the review. It confirmed that their agreements with members of the royal family were based on professional advice and fair market values.

We’re unlocking the truth about just who’s shelling out for the royal family’s palatial properties. 

One reason Prince William and Kate Middleton maintain a composed public image is that they receive free housing as part of their royal duties.

Prince William and Princess Kate have three residences: a 20-room apartment at Kensington Palace in London, a 10-bedroom country house called Anmer Hall in Norfolk, and a smaller property on the Windsor estate used by their staff, costing around $26,500 annually.

The couple, married since 2011, covers the approximately $412,000 annual rent for their Windsor property, Forest Lodge. They signed a 20-year lease in 2025 following over half a million dollars’ worth of repairs funded by the crown estate.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing a difficult time after losing his titles and royal duties. Before moving out of his home at Royal Lodge, however, he was earning an unknown amount of money by renting out three cottages on the property.

In August 2003, the former royal—who had fallen from grace—signed a 75-year lease and agreed to pay around $10.1 million for building repairs instead of paying rent.

Even though Princess Beatrice, Andrew’s oldest daughter, isn’t a full-time working member of the royal family, she still receives certain financial benefits. She shares two daughters, Sienna and Athena, with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and he also has a son named Christopher Woolf from a previous relationship.

Charles pays 68% of the typical rental cost for her apartment at St James’s Palace in London, even though the tech executive also owns a home in Oxfordshire.

Income from King Charles’s private estate, the Duchy of Lancaster, helps pay for Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s rent at Kensington Palace, where they live with their sons August and Ernest. Princess Eugenie is expecting her third child in May 2026.

However, Eugenie does splash out for her private seaside property in Portugal. 

Like other royals, Princess Anne receives a rent-free apartment at St James’s Palace as part of her work. However, she actively earns that benefit. In both 2023 and 2024, she completed more official engagements than any other royal, though King Charles surpassed her in 2025 with 533 commitments, compared to her 478. Prince William completed 202 official engagements during the same period.

Princess Anne’s country home, Gatcombe Park, is a 730-acre estate that includes both a manor house and an organic farm. She received it as a wedding gift from her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, when she married Mark Phillips in 1976.

King Charles is supporting his younger brother, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, by providing them with an apartment at St James’s Palace. This is in return for their continued work as active members of the royal family.

The couple also pays a very small, symbolic rent for their home at Bagshot Park in Surrey. However, they initially paid around $6.7 million to the Crown Estate when they signed a long-term lease of 150 years back in 2007.

Before her death in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II allowed her cousin Prince Michael of Kent and his wife, Princess Michael of Kent, to live in a large, ten-room apartment at Kensington Palace for less than $100 a week. This was despite the fact that they weren’t actively working members of the royal family, and the palace is maintained with taxpayer money.

Following public criticism in 2002, their mother agreed to pay their approximately $160,000 yearly rent for seven years, giving them some financial breathing room. However, she continued to cover the rent even after the initial seven-year period ended in 2009, a practice Charles confirms continues to this day.

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2026-06-14 13:18