EXCLUSIVE: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s new life in Sandringham exile with surprising twist

As the former Duke of York packs up and departs his Royal Lodge mansion, a royal expert tells the Mirror why he is not quite as ‘out in the cold’ as has been suggested

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Andrew is adjusting to a new name as well as a new home(Image: Getty Images)

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is rumoured to be moving into a sprawling but run-down farm after being evicted from his Royal Lodge residence amid the scandal surrounding his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former Duke of York, 65, was told to leave his long-time home and stripped of his remaining royal titles and honours by his brother, King Charles, in October, and it was confirmed he would move into a property on the King’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The new house – Marsh Farm – was described by one media outlet as “shoebox-sized”, but former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells the Mirror this is not strictly the case – and maybe more importantly for Andrew, is “not quite as out in the cold as it may seem”.

“Marsh Farm appears to be a perfectly pleasant old farmhouse, set in its own grounds,” she said. “Apparently it will need a fair bit of work, but if that’s true, it will undoubtedly be done at the King’s own expense.”

The former working farm is located around seven miles from the main Sandringham House, which is a favourite countryside retreat of the King, 77, and Queen Camilla, 78. The estate’s no-fly zone has also reportedly been extended to include Marsh Farm ahead of Andrew’s arrival.

Jennie says given the family’s history at the Sandringham estate, which was initially bought by Queen Victoria in the mid 1800s as a gift for her son, Andrew is “totally familiar” with the area around Marsh Farm.

She also suggests he is not likely to be short of company in his new home as he has been a regular visitor to the estate over the last few decades.

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Marsh Farm is around seven miles from the main Sandringham House(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“He spent many childhood days playing on the estate, sometimes with Diana, the late Princess of Wales and as an adult he has spent numerous holidays there,” she said. “And I’m sure he has friends in the area. So it’s not quite as ‘out in the cold’ as it may seem.”

The house – which has five bedrooms – is reportedly undergoing extensive renovations in time for Andrew’s rumoured arrival, but Jennie says it actually might not become the former working royal’s long-term home.

“That will be up to him” she said, adding, “He still has many wealthy friends around the world and has at least one offer of a palatial house in the Middle East if he wants it.

“Over recent years, I think he has got used to a fairly solitary existence. He has his daughters and grandchildren, and his brother is picking up his living expenses. It’s a lot more than many people. So he really doesn’t have much to complain about.”

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Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson are no longer allowed to live at Royal Lodge(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

When Buckingham Palace announced on October 30 that King Charles had “initiated the formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew”, it also said that “formal notice” had been served for him to surrender his lease on Royal Lodge, hence his downsizing.

The move came amid the ongoing drama surrounding Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his federal prison cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial.

The Palace statement said, “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” and also expressed its support for victims of “any and all forms of abuse”.