Royal Shock: Prince Andrew Loses Royal Staff – Forced to Clean His Own House as He Moves to Modest Farmhouse

London, January 30, 2026 – In the most dramatic downsizing yet for a senior member of the British royal family, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – formerly known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York – is preparing to leave the grand Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park and relocate to a far smaller and more remote property on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The move, expected to be completed within the coming weeks and possibly before his 66th birthday on February 19, marks the definitive end of the lavish, fully staffed lifestyle the 65-year-old has known since childhood. For the first time in his life, Andrew will have no live-in butler, no private chef, no full-time housekeeper, and no dedicated team of gardeners. Instead, he faces a future of limited, ad-hoc domestic help and – in many everyday matters – self-reliance.

From Palace to Farmhouse

Royal Lodge, the historic 30-room Grade II-listed mansion once home to the Queen Mother, has been Andrew’s residence since 2004 under a 75-year lease granted at a nominal “peppercorn” rent. The property sits on 98 acres of meticulously maintained grounds in Windsor Great Park. Its upkeep has long been subsidized – directly or indirectly – through royal funds, private income, and, during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, significant personal support from his mother.

Under the new regime of King Charles III, however, that financial lifeline has been severed. The King’s long-standing vision of a “slimmed-down monarchy” has translated into concrete action: non-working royals will no longer enjoy taxpayer-supported or Privy Purse-funded extravagance. Andrew, stripped of public duties, military titles, and the use of “His Royal Highness” in an official capacity years ago, no longer qualifies for such backing.

Removal vans have already been photographed outside Royal Lodge, and sources close to the household confirm the transition is imminent. Andrew’s destination is Marsh Farm, a five-bedroom farmhouse on the 20,000-acre Sandringham estate. Described by insiders and local observers as “ramshackle,” “poky,” low-lying and prone to flooding, the property stands in stark contrast to the grandeur he is leaving behind.

Renovation work is currently under way at Marsh Farm: new high-security fencing, CCTV cameras, external lighting, Sky TV installation, pest control (including mole and rodent eradication), and general modernization to bring the house to a habitable standard for someone of Andrew’s profile. Reports indicate he recently made a discreet visit to “measure up for curtains” and inspect progress – an occasion said to have left him visibly dismayed at the limited space, absence of staff quarters, and inadequate garaging for his collection of vehicles.

In the interim, Andrew may stay temporarily in another Sandringham property – possibly Wood Farm Cottage or a wing of Sandringham House itself – while final preparations are completed, potentially by Easter.

The End of Royal Service

The most jarring aspect of the move is the near-total loss of household staff.

At Royal Lodge, Andrew was supported by a small but dedicated team: a butler who managed the household rhythm, a private chef who prepared meals to his exact specifications, housekeepers who maintained the interiors and his famous collection of memorabilia (including the much-discussed arrangement of teddy bears), and gardeners who kept the extensive grounds pristine. Most of these long-serving employees have now been made redundant, receiving what sources describe as “generous” severance packages. Many are of retirement age and have shown little interest in relocating to rural Norfolk.

Marsh Farm offers no live-in accommodation for staff and is simply too small to justify a full household team. Palace insiders emphasize that “it is not realistic to employ so many people to look after one individual.” Instead, Andrew will rely on a skeleton, on-call arrangement: occasional cleaners, grounds maintenance from the wider Sandringham team, and a cook dispatched from the main house when required. There will be no 24/7 butler, no daily chef, and no permanent domestic presence.

For a man who has never had to operate a washing machine, load a dishwasher, or plan and prepare his own meals, the adjustment is expected to be profound.

Family and Financial Pressures

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who has shared Royal Lodge with Andrew for many years despite their 1996 divorce, must also find new accommodation. Their famously amicable post-divorce relationship continues, but Ferguson is concentrating on her recovery from recent cancer treatment (skin cancer following earlier breast cancer) and her successful career as an author and public speaker. She will not be stepping into any domestic support role.

Daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie remain supportive in private, though both lead busy professional and family lives of their own.

Financially, the situation is stark. Andrew no longer receives Sovereign Grant funding and depends on private income and whatever discretionary allowance the King provides from the Duchy of Lancaster – an amount that has been significantly reduced. The estimated £300,000–£400,000 annual cost of maintaining Royal Lodge is no longer sustainable without royal subsidy, and Marsh Farm’s far lower running costs align with the King’s determination to eliminate unnecessary expense.

A Symbolic Demotion

The relocation is widely interpreted as more than a change of address: it is a deliberate, clinical removal of the trappings of royalty from a non-working family member. King Charles has avoided the politically fraught step of stripping Andrew’s ducal title (which would require parliamentary action), but by withdrawing the infrastructure that enabled a princely lifestyle, he has achieved much the same result.

Royal watchers see the move as part of a broader Carolingian project: a leaner, more modern monarchy focused on the core working royals (the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children) and sensitive to public scrutiny over cost-of-living pressures.

For Andrew – once a Falklands War hero, trade envoy, and the Queen’s reportedly “favourite son” – the shift to a modest Norfolk farmhouse represents the final chapter of his royal career. He enters a quieter, more ordinary existence far from the spotlight, cameras, and the constant service he once took for granted.

As one veteran royal commentator put it: “This is tough love with a purpose. The King is protecting the institution. If you don’t work for the Crown, the Crown no longer pays for your butler.”

The era of the fully serviced duke is over. For Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a new – and far more solitary – chapter has begun.