Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are facing fresh scrutiny over their royal homes, raising concerns that they could lose access to the properties.
Neither sister is a working royal. According to the report, King Charles privately pays for Eugenie’s use of Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace and Beatrice’s apartment at St James’s Palace.
These properties are not their main homes. Both sisters also live in privately managed properties, which the report says are in the Cotswolds and Portugal.
The renewed attention follows a National Audit Office investigation that brought their father Andrew’s private income from subletting properties into the headlines. A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has also drawn attention to his daughters’ housing arrangements.
PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP called for greater openness about how royal properties are managed. He said the inquiry began with questions about whether the financial arrangements for Royal Lodge offered value for money.
According to Hello!, he said those arrangements were now fully public following the report’s release. He added that the inquiry also examined how The Crown Estate manages its wider property portfolio.
He said the committee hoped its recommendations would help The Crown Estate meet its legal duties and benefit taxpayers.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson thanked the committee for its work and said the Palace would carefully consider its recommendation as part of its efforts to improve.
