Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are said to be 'appalled' and in crisis after King Charles reportedly moved to end a private loyalty pact that had allowed them to live rent free in royal apartments in London. The princesses, both non‑working royals, are understood to be under pressure to leave their grace and favour homes in St James's Palace and Kensington Palace as scrutiny grows over how their accommodation is funded.
The row erupted after the National Audit Office (NAO) published an audit this month revealing that King Charles has been covering the accommodation costs of some non‑working royals from the Privy Purse, his private income. Before his accession, the late Queen Elizabeth II is said to have paid the rent for Beatrice and Eugenie, with Charles later taking on the payments himself; the properties sit within palaces maintained by public money via the Sovereign Grant, though a Palace source insisted the King's private payments offset any extra cost to the taxpayer.
