Prince Andrew’s luxurious ‘new life living like a sultan in Abu Dhabi palace’

The King’s younger brother Prince Andrew has agreed to leave Royal Lodge for a smaller property on the Sandringham estate – but experts believe he will ultimately quit life in the UK

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s royal life came to a spectacular end last week when King Charles took away every royal title and styling from his younger brother.

It was the latest humiliation for the disgraced former Duke and has left many wondering – what now? Andrew, the late Queen’s second son, is set to move to a smaller home on the King’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk in the new year – completing his internal exile – having finally agreed to quit Royal Lodge, where he had paid a peppercorn rent for more than 20 years.

How long he stays there remains to be seen. Given the level of public hatred towards Andrew, most royal experts agree that he will ultimately decide to quit the UK.

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Royal commentators believe Andrew will quit the UK for a lavish life in Abu Dhabi(Image: Getty Images)

Royal biographer Andrew Morton told Times Radio: “I would predict that, if we’re speaking about this time next year, Andrew will probably live somewhere abroad.” Top of the list, it seems, is Abu Dhabi. According to The Sun, Andrew has been offered a 16,000sq ft palace from the Emirate’s billionaire ruler, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 64, known as MBZ.

Andrew’s potential new pad reportedly boasts six en-suite air-conditioned bedrooms, an indoor gym, pool, cinema and a huge kitchen staffed by cordon bleu chefs. It sits within a heavily guarded complex, which is also home to five other palaces where a royal sheikh and government ministers live, and surrounded by a 30ft hedge.

Privacy is paramount. There are only two entrances to the estate; a government-appointed guard operates a barrier to keep out the public, while a second official is in a gatehouse to check the credentials of anyone who tries to enter. Only residents, guests and staff with government-issued passes are allowed in.

A worker at one of the palaces told The Sun: “The whole area is private and very secure. The public are not allowed in and there are cameras which log every vehicle which approaches. “The area is effectively under the radar. We have not heard anything official yet about Andrew moving in but he would enjoy it here because it is very private.”

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Andrew has been friends with the Emirates ruler for a number of years(Image: KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

The chance for Andrew to escape the UK and live a new life of luxury in Abu Dhabi is down to his long-standing friendship with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The pair hit it off when Andrew began visiting the Emirate in 2001 through his role as a trade envoy.

MBZ has served as the third president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi since 2022. In 2011, it was revealed Andrew’s family had received gifts from the Emirates royal family, including some expensive pieces of jewellery for his eldest daughter, Beatrice.

Beatrice is currently in the Middle East; both she and her sister Eugenie fled the UK as the sword fell on Andrew, and on October 30 made an appearance at a business conference in Abu Dhabi, just one day after being photographed at an event in Saudi Arabia.

She has also previously spoken at an energy conference in Abu Dhabi and enjoyed a private meeting with MBZ, while in 2023 Eugenie was there to attend the F1 grand prix.

Meanwhile, commentators have noted that the lifestyle in Abu Dhabi is likely to appeal to Andrew since the government censors the media to ensure there is no criticism of powerful figures. Historian Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, said: “He would be happy living somewhere where the media is muzzled, where he will still be treated as a senior royal and where he can easily live under the radar. “His personal relationships with young women are not likely to be scrutinised in Abu Dhabi.”