Former prince Andrew is set to leave his Royal Lodge mansion to move to a much smaller property – but it is reported there has been another hold-up with the move
Disgraced Andrew’s move to the Sandringham estate is reportedly being held up yet again – and the King can’t do anything to speed up the process.
The disgraced former prince is being booted out of his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge to go and live on the King’s private estate in Norfolk after being stripped of his titles following revelations about his association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. It was believed the move would take place in the New Year once the royals’ Christmas celebrations at Sandringham have been wrapped up.
An old farmhouse on the estate has reportedly had renovations started on it to prepare it for Andrew to move in. The property, called Marsh Farm, is around seven miles from the main Sandringham House and it’s said a no-fly zone over Sandringham has been extended to include the property.
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The much smaller property has a main house, but the two reception rooms and kitchen are said to need major renovations. And a royal insider has told The Express that due to the work needed, it is holding up proceedings – especially as Andrew is resisting a temporary move to another property in the meantime.
They said: “Six months of works are needed before Andrew can move in and he’s strongly resisting plans to live in a temporary property until the renovations are complete – not least because the suggested property is a fraction of the size of Royal Lodge.”
And even if the King wanted to speed up the process of getting his younger brother out of his grand house, it seems there is nothing much he can do. Earlier this month, the powerful Public Accounts Committee, which looks into whether taxpayers’ money is being wisely spent, published details of the property arrangements provided by Crown Estate chief executive Dan Labbad.
It shows that Andrew gave the minimum 12 months’ notice that he would surrender Royal Lodge on October 30 – the day he lost his titles – meaning he could stay there until October next year. Andrew has spent Christmas away from the royals alone at Royal Lodge – with even his daughters choosing to spend the festive season with their royal relatives.
The former Duke of York was seen driving his car close to his home on Christmas Day while Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands attended church with the King and Queen and rest of the royals at Sandringham.
At the end of October, the King officially stripped his disgraced brother Andrew of his HRH style and his prince title, and removed his dukedom from the Roll of the Peerage over his “serious lapses” of judgment.
The move followed the publication of a posthumous memoir by Andrew’s accuser, Virginia Giuffre, and the US government’s release of documents from Epstein’s estate. It emerged that Andrew had emailed Epstein in 2011 saying “we’re in this together”, three months after he claimed he had broken all contact with the paedophile. Andrew denies all wrongdoing.
