Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has formally submitted notice to vacate Royal Lodge

Sarah Ferguson is actively searching for a property of her own in the Windsor area, according to a source.

Friends say she is eager to establish a life separate from Andrew, with whom she has shared Royal Lodge since their divorce in 1996.

 

Despite ending their marriage, the pair have occupied different rooms within the same residence for decades.

A source told The Times that Ferguson’s determination to remain in Britain, stating: “She wants to stay in the UK, ideally in the Windsor area, and she wants to have her own base so that she can live independently and continue to pursue many things as Sarah Ferguson.”

Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

Sarah Ferguson is actively searching for a property of her own in the Windsor area, according to a source. | GETTY

Both of Ferguson’s daughters have stepped forward with accommodation offers for their mother.

Princess Beatrice has reportedly made available a granny annexe at her Cotswolds residence.

The annexe is a converted former cattle shed on the grounds of the £3.75 million property, which has been elegantly refurbished by her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s design company, Banda.

Princess Eugenie has meanwhile suggested her mother could use her Portuguese holiday property for occasional respite.

Sarah Ferguson

Both of Ferguson’s daughters have stepped forward with accommodation offers for their mother | GETTY

However, those in Ferguson’s circle indicate that neither arrangement represents a suitable permanent solution to her housing situation.

It comes as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has formally submitted notice to vacate Royal Lodge, though the minimum required period of 12 months means he remains responsible for the Windsor property throughout the coming year.

Following months of resistance, the Duke appears disinclined to rush his departure.

Sources at Buckingham Palace maintain they anticipate Andrew will leave during the first three months of next year.

Prince Andrew

Sources at Buckingham Palace maintain they anticipate Andrew will leave during the first three months of next year.| GETTY

A lifetime’s accumulation of luxury items and personal possessions must find a new home, including his well-documented collection of dozens of teddy bears.

Complicating matters further is the question of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis, currently residing at Royal Lodge.

When Andrew and his former wife Sarah Ferguson finally separate their belongings — some three decades after their divorce — arrangements must be made for the dogs’ future care.

The King has indicated that alternative accommodation befitting Andrew’s diminished royal standing will be made available at Sandringham, his private Norfolk estate.