King Charles attends church service near Balmoral Estate just days after it emerged he paid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's £1.5million bill to repair Royal Lodge

King Charles has been spotted attending church just days after it emerged he footed a £1.5million bill to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for repairs to the Royal Lodge. 

The monarch, 77, was accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla, as they drove to Crathie Church in Aberdeenshire on Sunday morning for a service. 

The pair were pictured riding in a black Range Rover with Camilla, 79, donning a feather-tailed hat for the occasion while her husband sported what appeared to be a tartan suit.

Crathie Church - which is located near Balmoral Castle - regularly plays host to the King and the wider royal family, with the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children seen at the site in August for a similar Sunday service. 

King Charles's outing comes only days after it was revealed he loaned his disgraced brother Andrew £1.5million to cover repair costs for the Royal Lodge. 

Andrew, 66, was evicted from the Windsor residence earlier this year amid his connections to the disgraced financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

The former Duke of York - who lived at the lodge rent-free for more than two decades - left the mansion with £1.8million worth of 'dilapidations' in need of repair before it can be rented out again. 

Assessors found £302,000 could be knocked off the repairs bill as Andrew's lease was terminated early, with Charles settling the remainder of the cost. 

It is said he felt 'obliged' to loan his brother £1.5million from his private income to ensure there is no cost to taxpayers for the work, which includes repairs to the main house and garden area.   

Andrew previously paid £7.5million for refurbishments when he took over the property in 2003 and lived at the site paying a 'peppercorn' rent. 

Revealing the size of the bill, The Crown Estate said: 'The former tenant has fully vacated and paid £1.8million for dilapidations. This sum was informed and reviewed by independent advisers.

'The amount of compensation the tenant is entitled to for surrendering the lease in October 2026 is circa £302,000.

‘Therefore, the overall net amount received by The Crown Estate is £1.5million.'

In the past, Buckingham Palace has said King Charles makes 'provision' for Andrew that would otherwise be a burden on the taxpayer.

The timing of the loan comes only one day after it emerged Andrew is currently locked in a High Court battle over whether evidence obtained during raids of two of his properties can be used in the criminal investigation into him.

On Thursday, it emerged at the High Court the former prince took out a judicial review against Thames Valley Police and the Old Bailey judge who approved the search warrants on his homes in February. 

The warrants, issued by a judge at the Old Bailey on February 18, allowed police to raid Andrew's residence on the Sandringham Estate and his former Windsor home, Royal Lodge, in February.

He was then arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19, his 66th birthday, following allegations he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK's trade envoy.

Andrew was interviewed under caution before being released under investigation, and denies wrongdoing, with the police probe ongoing.