| Royal Lodge | |
|---|---|
  Location of Royal Lodge in Berkshire | |
| Location | Berkshire |
| Coordinates | 51°26′20″N0°36′24″W / 51.4390°N 0.6068°W /51.4390; -0.6068 |
| Demolished | 1830 |
| Rebuilt | 1840 |
| Owner | Crown Estate |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Designated | 3 March 1972 |
| Reference no. | 1323669 |
Royal Lodge is aGrade II listed house inWindsor Great Park inBerkshire, England, half a mile north ofCumberland Lodge and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) south ofWindsor Castle.[1] The site of homes since the 17th century, the present structure dates from the 19th century, and was expanded in the 1930s for the thenDuke of York, the future KingGeorge VI. Its central section consists of three storeys, with two-storey wings, totalling about 30 rooms, including seven bedrooms. TheRoyal Chapel of All Saints was built on the grounds in the 1820s.
Part of theCrown Estate, it was the Windsor residence ofQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother from 1952 until her death in 2002 at the age of 101, after which it became the official country residence ofPrince Andrew, Duke of York and his family in 2004.
Royal Lodge dates back to the mid-seventeenth century, with a house on the site by 1662. By 1750, the smallQueen Anne style brick house was being used in conjunction with the adjacent dairy. By this time, it was known variously as the Lower Lodge to distinguish it fromCumberland Lodge, then known as the Great Lodge, or the Dairy Lodge.
From the mid-eighteenth century, it was the residence of militarytopographer and artistThomas Sandby (the brother of the better-knownPaul), serving as Deputy Ranger of the Great Park. The house was then known as the Deputy Ranger's House. It was expanded in 1792 and became the residence of Joseph Frost, the ParkBailiff, and later of the General Superintendent of Farms following Sandby's death.
George, Prince of Wales (later KingGeorge IV) planned to rebuild Cumberland Lodge after becomingprince regent. He used the Lower Lodge as temporary accommodation in 1812. Alterations and additions were undertaken byJohn Nash[2] for George. The chapels of Royal and Cumberland Lodges proved too small for the royal households in the early 19th century, and theRoyal Chapel of All Saints was built in 1825 byJeffry Wyatville, less than a hundred yards from Royal Lodge. It was now a large and elaborate cottage in the contemporary style of thecottage orné, with thatched roofs, verandas, and aconservatory. It became known as the Prince Regent's Cottage after the prince moved into it in 1815. The renovation of Cumberland Lodge was abandoned. Additions were made after 1820. In 1823, Jeffry Wyatt (later Sir Jeffry Wyatville) succeeded Nash as architect, and the house (known now as the "King's Cottage") became known as Royal Lodge in the late 1820s. After 1830, KingWilliam IV ordered the demolition of all of the house, except the conservatory. It became a residence again in 1840 and was used as accommodation for various officers of theRoyal Household until 1843 and from 1873 to 1931.
The grounds extend to 98 acres (40 hectares),[3] partly under its own head gardener, but primarily the responsibility of theCrown Estates Commissioners. While the house has been expanding gradually since the 1840s, it remains relatively small and informal, yet the grounds follow a cohesive plan. This was the result of work undertaken by the Duke and Duchess of York in the 1930s, with the assistance of SirEric Savill, of the Windsor Estate.
In 1931, KingGeorge V granted Royal Lodge to the Duke and Duchess of York (later KingGeorge VI and QueenElizabeth) as a country retreat. Wings were added on each flank in the 1930s. There are two lodges at the entrance and groups of three cottages on each side of the lodges. The main building has some 30 rooms, including seven bedrooms and a saloon (48 by 30 by 30 feet, 14.6 by 9.1 by 9.1 m). The original conservatory survives. The grounds contain the miniature cottageY Bwthyn Bach, a gift to PrincessElizabeth as a child from the people ofWales in 1932. On 11 December 1936, theDuke of Windsor took leave of his family at Royal Lodge following his abdication speech before leaving for overseas and exile. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and their daughters Princesses Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) andMargaret were depicted in Royal Lodge inHerbert James Gunn's 1950 paintingConversation Piece at the Royal Lodge, Windsor.[4] After the death of her husband George VI in 1952, the Queen Mother continued to use the house as one of her country retreats as agrace and favour residence until her death. The Queen Mother died at Royal Lodge on 30 March 2002, with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, and nieceMargaret Rhodes, by her side.[5] In 2018, the wedding reception forPrincess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank was held at the Royal Lodge.[6]
In August 2003,Prince Andrew, Duke of York was granted a lease agreement by the Crown Estate for 75 years. The property leased included Royal Lodge, a Gardener's Cottage, the Chapel Lodge, six Lodge Cottages, and police security accommodation in addition to 40 hectares of land. The lease agreement required Prince Andrew to undertake refurbishments at his own expense, which was underestimated at £7.5 million at September 2002 prices, excluding VAT. It also specified a premium payment of £1 million. TheNational Audit Office (NAO) report into the lease agreement stated that the Crown Estate's independent advisors had advised that the refurbishment work would cost at least £5 million and that the Prince should be given the option to buy out the notional annual rental payment (set at £260,000) for £2.5 million. Once the prince committed to spending £7.5 million on refurbishment, it was decided that no rental would be required as he would be treated as having effectively bought out the notional annual rental payment because he exceeded the minimum £5 million required for refurbishment. As a result, only the £1 million premium was paid to the Crown Estate.[3] There is no provision for any further rent review over the life of the 75-year lease agreement (unlike the rent reviews provided in the case ofBagshot Park, the residence ofPrince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, also leased from the Crown Estate).[3] The lease agreement provides that the prince may not benefit financially from any increase in the value of the property, as the freehold belongs to the Crown Estate. The leasehold may be assigned only to his widow or his two daughters,Princess Beatrice andPrincess Eugenie, or a trust established solely for their benefit.[3] If the prince terminates the lease, the property reverts to the Crown Estate. He would be entitled to compensation for the refurbishment costs incurred, up to a maximum of just under £7 million, which is reduced annually over the first 25 years, after which no compensation is payable.[3] The NAO report states that having already taken advice from one independent advisor on the transaction, the Crown Estate appointed a second firm of independent advisors to assess the details of the lease deal, given its importance. The second independent advisor concluded that the deal was appropriate, considering the importance of retaining management control over the Royal Lodge and the security implications, especially concerning the Royal Family's access to theRoyal Chapel). In the circumstances, the Crown Estate considered that the requirement to obtain value for money was satisfied, taking into account the non-financial considerations relating to the lease of the property. The alternative use, to lease it on the commercial market, was not viable.[3]
Following the renovations, Prince Andrew with his two daughters moved into the house in 2004, having vacatedSunninghill Park.[7] In 2008, his former wifeSarah, Duchess of York moved into Royal Lodge, again sharing a house with the Duke of York.[8] It has been reported that the open market value of the property would have been at least £30 million, as of January 2022.[9] After the Duke of York stepped down from public duties in November 2019, the flagpole on the roof of Royal Lodge, used to fly the personal Royal Standard of the Duke of York when in residence, was removed.[9] In 2023, reports suggested that KingCharles III was to cut Andrew's annual grant, potentially leaving him unable to afford the Lodge's running costs, and he had been offered the smaller five-bedroomFrogmore Cottage instead, until then the UK residence ofPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his family, who had been issued a request to vacate by Buckingham Palace.[10]
Prince Andrew and former wife Sarah Ferguson have lived at Royal Lodge since 2004.
51°26′20″N0°36′24″W / 51.4390°N 0.6068°W /51.4390; -0.6068