The Duchess of Edinburgh looked like a regal spectator on Saturday as she and Prince Edward enjoyed the thrill of show jumping at the Coral Gold Cup meeting at Newbury Racecourse.
Just a few days later, attention returned to his Surrey home and some questions resurfaced.
At the racetrack, Sophie kept up the royal tradition by chatting with other racegoers, watching the elite jumpers race around the track, and enjoying a crisp autumn day with Edward.
But at home it’s a different story. The couple’s Bagshot Park residence is a sprawling 120-room mansion on 51 acres, which has come under renewed scrutiny after it emerged that Edward pays only a “peppercorn rent”.
It shelled out £5m in 2007 for a 150-year lease, and the current rent is effectively nominal.
Critics argue that such a deal on a property of this size and value seems difficult to justify, especially when compared to public Crown Estate properties that could benefit taxpayers more directly.
Activists warn that the agreement leaves open the possibility of private profits from what began as public land.
So while the Duchess’s smile at Newbury spoke of tradition and leisure, the revelation of the Bagshot Park lease is a reminder that for British royalty, living in luxury can come with serious scrutiny.
