Where will Prince Andrew stay if he is forced to move out of Royal Lodge?

Prince Andrew has been under much pressure lately over his relationship with the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew is said to be on the outs with the Royal Family including his older brother King Charles, who became the UK sovereign in 2022. Prince Andrew, who has denied all the allegations against him, over the years has been slowly taking steps back from public life.

Not only has Prince Andrew been stripped of his royal duties and patronages, he has also vowed not to use his titles, including the Duke of York, in public earlier this month. However, despite all this, Andrew remains a prince.

Now, there are reports that Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York with whom he continues to
share a home, will be moved out of Royal Lodge.

But where will Andrew stay if this is the case?

Let’s take a closer look.

The Royal Lodge

First, let’s take a look at Prince Andrew’s current living arrangements.

Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, aka Fergie , reside at the Royal Lodge. This is a 30-room mansion which is spread across 48 acres on the grounds of Windsor Castle owned by the Crown Estate – an independently run business owned by the monarch, and run independently with all profits going to the Treasury.

Prince Andrew, who has lived at the Royal Lodge for two decades, had signed a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate for the property, previously home to the Queen Mother. The lease of £1 million (Rs 11.76 crore) pounds, approved under Queen Elizabeth II and signed in 2003, currently expires in 2078.

Frogmore Cottage

Frogmore Cottage is the former five-bedroom home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple were given a lease on the relatively modest property as a wedding present by Queen Elizabeth. T hey lived in the property till 2019 before they left for the US .
It is located on Frogmore House and Gardens, which is in Berkshire’s Windsor Home Park. It is also less than a kilometre from Windsor Castle.

Frogmore, which was built in the late 1600s, has been a home for royals since 1792. Its previous occupants include Queen Victoria’s mother, King George V and Queen Mary.

Interestingly, it has been reported that Andrew was previously offered Frogmore Cottage by King Charles but he turned it down on the grounds that it was “not grand enough for him”. However, he has now seemingly changed his mind.

“Andy is willing to leave,” a source told The Sun. “He is realistic and knows the writing is on the wall and that his time at Royal Lodge is up.” The insider claimed that Prince Andrew had requested Frogmore Cottage for himself and Adelaide Cottage for his ex-wife.

Adelaide Cottage

Another option for Andrew is Adelaide Cottage, which is also on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

This is currently the home of Prince William and Princess Kate and their children George, Charlotte and Louis. However, the family is now moving to Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.

The four-bedroom home was put up in 1831. It was built for Queen Adelaide, the wife of William IV.

Notably, it was home to Group Captain Peter Townsend, the aide to King George VI who had a romance with Princess Margaret. Townsend and his first wife lived at Adelaide Cottage between 1944 and 1952. Adelaide Cottage has been called a “picturesque” two-storey stucco-faced dwelling with casement windows and elaborate pierced bargeboards edging the roof. It also has the benefit of being close to Frogmore Cottage.

Wood Farm

Wood Farm is in Norfolk on the famed Sandringham estate, which spans 20,000 acres including 600 acres of gardens. Wood Farm was a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Unlike the other options, this is owned by the monarch privately and not the Crown Estate – which would give Prince Andrew even more privacy. The five-bedroom farmhouse has been described as ‘small and intimate’ by those in the know.

Castle of Mey

The Castle of Mey is located in Scotland’s Caithness.

A four-hour drive from Balmoral, this castle was built between 1566 and 1572 by George, the 4th Earl of Caithness, for his son William Sinclair.

Queen Elizabeth, aka the Queen Mother, bought it in 1952. At the time, it was known as Barrogill Castle.

The castle frequently plays host to King Charles every summer before he heads to the Balmoral estate. Charles had previously opened a bed and breakfast on the grounds of the castle.

Craigowan Lodge

Craigowan Lodge is a seven-bedroom home on the Balmoral estate in the Scottish Highlands. Andrew and Fergie lived on the private estate during the summer. It is also near a nine-hole golf course. However, it remains unlikely that Andrew will want to move so far from his family and away from the seat of power.

Other options

King Charles could simply purchase a private property for his younger brother.

Or Prince Andrew could relocate out of the country – somewhere in West Asia.

The Sun has reported that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has already offered Andrew a palace in Abu Dhabi – in gratitude for his time spent as the international business envoy of the UK. Prince Andrew could also relocate to Bahrain, for which he has displayed an affinity.

With inputs from agencies