Moving him to a smaller property on the Windsor estate would minimise the public’s outrage at him living a life of taxpayer-subsidised luxury, but he would have to pay rent which he might not be able to afford.
Moving him into Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace would also risk accusations that he was being rewarded rather than punished, and there would be a cost to the public purse of accommodating him in buildings that belong to the nation.
Meanwhile, there is also the question of what would happen to Royal Lodge, as its proximity to Windsor Castle makes it difficult, if not impossible, to rent out privately.
Under the terms of the lease, which he signed in 2003, the Prince is entitled to a refund of some of the money he paid up front, which included a £1m payment for the 75-year lease and more than £7.5m in refurbishment costs. If he leaves before next June, he will be in line for a refund of £557,596, which reduces by £185,865 each year until 2028, when he will be owed nothing.
The Prince has argued all along that it makes no sense for him to walk away from a property which cost him around £10m before he even moved in, and which has cost millions more in upkeep since then, regardless of the rent being waived.
That means he is likely to demand considerably more than the money he is legally owed, which might have to be funded by the King, as the Crown Estate answers to the Treasury, which is unlikely to allow public money to be used.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.telegraph.co.uk ’
