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Topics: Prince Andrew, Royal Family, UK News
Phoebe Tonks
Topics: Prince Andrew, Royal Family, UK News
After a whirlwind 24 hours, which have seen Prince Andrew be formally stripped of his titles and ordered to leave the Royal Lodge, all eyes are now on where the disgraced royal will move to next.
Andrew, who has been stripped of his Duke of York and HRH titles, will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and, as per King Charles’ instructions, has been asked to vacate his home at Royal Lodge ‘as soon as is practicable.’
Yet while an eviction is set to take place, Andrew will not be left without a roof over his head, but will be asked to move to a far smaller and less extravagant residence considering his new commoner status.
Since 2004, Andrew and his family - which includes ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie - have lived at Royal Lodge, on the Windsor estate. It was previously the principle residence of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, from 1952 until her death in 2002.
Upon her death, it became the official residence of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, until King Charles announced he needed to vacate the property in October 2025.
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Spread across 30 rooms, the lavish property is set in around 100 acres of land and underwent an extensive £7.5 million ($10million) renovation at September 2002 prices as part of Andrew’s lease terms to rent the property for 75 years.
Andrew, the alleged 'favorite son' of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has been formally asked to leave the property in line with the loss of his royal titles.
The removal of his royal status came amid mounting public and political pressure over his taxpayer-subsidised lifestyle after the disgraced royal stepped down from his duties in 2019.
It also follows fresh scrutiny over his connection to the late convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein, who took his own life at the age of 66 in his prison cell while awaiting trial in August 2019.
Epstein's accuser, Virginia Giuffre, alleged she was paid $15,000 to have sex with the prince when she was just 17 years old - an allegation Andrew has always strongly denied. However, despite insisting that he is innocent, he and Giuffre settled for around $15 million in 2022.
But this didn't stop the speculation and allegations against him, resulting in his position within the Royal Family becoming untenable, particularly as they continued to overshadow the work of King Charles and other senior royals.
In a statement yesterday (October 30), Buckingham Palace said: "His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
"Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
"Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
It is currently understood that Andrew will now be moving to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, another of the late Queen’s beloved residences.
However, while no announcement has been made regarding which property on the estate he will be calling home, it is widely believed that he will not be moving into the main house, but rather one of the smaller cottages on the grounds.
Spread across 20,000 acres, the entire Sandringham estate is home to around 150 properties in total.
It is also an estate that is open to the public, and features several amenities including a sawmill, organic farm, museum and 600 acres of stunning gardens.
A number of smaller houses exist in the state, including Anmer Hall, which was gifted to Prince William and Princess Kate in 2013.
Given this existing royal connection, it seems unlikely that such a property could be offered to the disgraced Prince.
It is also understood that Wood Farm, a quaint residence adored by Andrew’s parents - the late Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh - has also been ruled out of the equation, according to the BBC.
Three properties that could potentially house the former royal however, include York Cottage – a residence where the Royal Family traditionally gather at Christmas, Park House - the birthplace of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Garden’s House, the former residence of the head gardener.
Additionally, there are also a few small houses on the private rental market too, including a two-bedroom red brick terraced house in Flitcham village, priced at $1,300 per calendar month.
Two three-bedroom properties are also available for rent in Harpley Dams and Doddshills, priced at $1,600 and $1,500 respectively.
Andrew’s new home will likely be privately funded by King Charles, as it is understood the King will also be making ‘appropriate private provision’ for him.
This means that the taxpayer won’t have to foot the bill for Andrew’s life on the royal estate – something which will no doubt please the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, who recently scrutinised the ‘value for money’ (or lack thereof) involved in his taxpayer-subsidised lifestyle.
Along with private financial support from his elder brother, Andrew will also have access to his own personal finances, which have been accrued through various business dealings since stepping back from royal life in 2019.
However, many of these dealings remain a mystery and have never been disclosed publicly.
The only publicly disclosed source of income possessed by Andrew is his Royal Navy pension, which amounts to an income of just $26,000 a year.