The King has stepped in to cover the bill after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor left Royal Lodge needing £1.8million of repairs.

The former Duke of York was evicted from the crumbling Windsor mansion earlier this year amid the furore over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. 

After two decades of living there rent-free, he left the 30-room mansion in need of £1.8million to fix 'dilapidations' before it can be rented out again, it has emerged today.

But assessors decided he was entitled to have £302,000 knocked off the repairs bill because his lease was terminated early.  

Now it is understood King Charles has 'felt obliged' to loan Andrew £1.5million from his private income to pay for the work, to ensure there is no cost to taxpayers.

The King's brother - thanks to Charles's money - has now settled the costs of the repairs, thought to include an outbuilding that needed substantial work. Repairs were also needed on the main house, and the garden area was in need of restoration. 

When Andrew took over the property in 2003 he paid £7.5million for refurbishments. He then lived for two decades paying a 'peppercorn' rent.

Now, after he was forced out, the Crown Estate has revealed the size of the repair bill.

It said: 'The former tenant has fully vacated and paid £1.8million for dilapidations. This sum was informed and reviewed by independent advisers.

'The amount of compensation the tenant is entitled to for surrendering the lease in October 2026 is circa £302,000. 

‘Therefore, the overall net amount received by The Crown Estate is £1.5million.' 

The £302,000 compensation owed to Andrew knocks his repair bill down from £1.8million to £1.5million. He does not personally receive a penny in compensation.

The King is understood to have paid the full £1.5million due to the Crown Estate to settle the bill for the works needed at Royal Lodge.

Buckingham Palace has previously said that Charles makes 'provision' for his brother who would otherwise be a burden on the taxpayer.

Sources have told the Mail that, regardless of his private feelings on the matter, the King felt ‘obliged’ to loan his brother the money in order for it to be paid back promptly to the Crown Estate, so that Andrew was not a burden on public finances.

Indeed, it is understood that Charles feels that if his brother is to be a burden on anyone, then he should only be a burden on him - and that this should take priority over whatever he feels personally.

Whether Charles ever gets the money back he has ‘loaned’ him appears to be a moot point, but is not one that Buckingham Palace wishes to discuss.

However the fact that he even needed to lend Andrew the money in the first place appears to shore up reports that the ex-prince has very little in the way of personal cash or income any more.

Claims the King pays his brother an annual stipend of close to £1million pounds a year are understood to be ‘wide of the mark’, although it will inevitably be a significant sum.

However those with knowledge of the situation insist it is a drop in the ocean, compared to the ex-prince’s previous outgoings.

As to why the king feels he should bankroll his brother in any capacity any more, the concern amongst those in the royal household appears to quite simple: if the king doesn’t help him out, who on earth would he go cap in hand to?

And based on Andrew’s previous form, that could prove even more problematic than he situation he currently finds himself in.

Asked when the King expected Andrew to repay the money 'loaned', palace sources said that was 'a private matter' between His Majesty and Mr Mountbatten-Windsor. 

The timing of the loan come only a day after it emerged Andrew has been funding a legal challenge to the police raid on Royal Lodge earlier this year. 

But royal sources insisted it was a coincidence, and the two matters were separate. The surrender of the lease on royal Lodge had to conclude by October 30. It emerged at the High Court on Thursday this week that the former prince took out a judicial review against Thames Valley Police and the Old Bailey judge who approved the search warrants on his homes in February.

The King banned his brother from using his money to pay for the judicial review. Asked if Charles was funding the repair bills loan in order to free up cash for Andrew to afford his legal fight, palace sources stressed that none of the Monarch's money should be used for the court battle.  

The disgraced former prince lived in the grandiose home set in 98 pristine acres of Windsor Great Park rent-free since 2003 until January or February this year.

He paid just 'one peppercorn (if demanded) per annum' - according to his lease.

The Crown Estate is an independent commercial body whose profits go to the Treasury but is obliged to get the best value for the public.

It said the Royal Lodge lease has been handed back more than 50 years early, 'which means additional value can be generated much sooner than expected'.

The Crown Estate said in a statement: ‘We can confirm the lease for Royal Lodge with former tenant Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been surrendered.

‘The lease has been handed back more than 50 years early – which means additional value can be generated much sooner than expected.

‘As per the terms of his lease, the tenant was entitled to receive compensation if the lease was surrendered within the first 25 years. This term was included in the lease to reflect the significant (c.£7.5m) refurbishments made by the tenant at the start of the lease. The amount of compensation the tenant is entitled to for surrendering the lease in October 2026 is c.£302k.'

A spokesman said: '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.'

It has a statutory duty to maintain the character of the Windsor Estate as a Royal park and forest.

It said the lodge would now be marketed for its proposed future use ‘by two nationally recognised agents’.