William's Kiss Sparks Reform Talk Over Royals' Rent-Free Palaces
At a royal wedding, William’s kiss to Beatrice is framed as a symbolic moment amid a National Audit Office report showing Beatrice and Eugenie have lived rent-free in Kensington Palace and St. James’s Palace, with their costs effectively subsidized by King Charles through the Duchy of Lancaster and Crown Estate. The piece notes that William, once king, is expected to curb such arrangements for non-working royals, signaling a potential shift in royal finances and duties amid public scrutiny.