King Charles to Review Beatrice and Eugenie’s Housing Arrangement After Audit Findings: Report
Free royal homes, fresh scrutiny, and another review—King Charles is facing choppy waters over the York sisters' housing arrangement.
King Charles is reportedly set to review Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's royal housing arrangements after a National Audit Office (NAO) drew fresh attention to how the sisters' residences are funded. The report revealed that housing costs associated with their royal properties are currently covered through the King's private funds, prompting renewed scrutiny of the arrangement.
After the NAO's findings went public, a report by The Telegraph revealed that the Royal Household would review the agreements governing Eugenie's property at Kensington Palace and Beatrice's residence at St. James's Palace. Royal sources confirmed that all financial matters were kept under "regular review." Moreover, the Palace is keen to ensure that the Firm is seen as transparent and fully cooperative amid backlash over the arrangements. The NAO report showed that the York sisters had licences which were "agreed annually for a one-year period," with their rent covered by the King's Privy Purse, an arrangement made under the late Queen Elizabeth's reign.
With this in mind, a member of the public accounts committee (PAC) alleged that the MPs could consider summoning royal representatives before Parliament, adding that it would discuss summoning "all the possible witnesses" to the House of Commons. One of the MPs said that the report raised "lots of questions" about people benefiting from taxpayer money despite not "seeming to do any work." They scoffed, "I think there are lots of questions that we have to ask, don't we? About, yes, of course, the lower level of rents being charged, but also other people being in receipt of clearly the benefits of public spending, who exactly weren't seeming to do any work to achieve that money."
That being said, a statement shared by royal expert Robert Jobson on his Substack stressed that the Palace was 'grateful' for the review and hoped its findings would help "correct, clarify, or contextualize" discussion around royal properties. The spokesperson further asserted, "As the report notes, arrangements for properties managed by the Royal Household vary based on a number of factors to ensure residences are filled appropriately, depending on their location, tenants, and purpose." The findings have renewed questions about transparency and how royal housing arrangements are managed.
