{"id":370817,"date":"2026-03-29T04:07:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T04:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/370817\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T04:07:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T04:07:18","slug":"fine-art-and-a-portacabin-for-the-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/370817\/","title":{"rendered":"Fine art and a portacabin for the staff"},"content":{"rendered":"

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor<\/a> is under pressure to live a more \u201csimple and frugal\u201d lifestyle, as he prepares to move into his new home at Sandringham.<\/p>\n

Buckingham Palace will be worried by any of the signs that Mountbatten-Windsor is \u201cliving in the lap of luxury\u201d at Marsh Farm, one former royal aide told The i Paper.<\/p>\n

However, the former prince will struggle to even \u201cpretend\u201d to live more modestly while in Norfolk, say royal observers.<\/p>\n

New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n

Renovations have been taking place at the Marsh Farm house on the Royal Family\u2019s estate, with carpet and flooring experts seen entering the grounds.<\/p>\n

A large, white mobile home has been installed on the grounds \u2013 reportedly for the former duke\u2019s security staff since there is not enough room inside the five-bedroom home.<\/p>\n

Workmen have been photographed installing CCTV, a new security fence and Sky TV. A transport firm specialising in transporting fine art was seen entering the grounds.<\/p>\n

Moving boxes marked with \u201cHRH\u201d were also spotted \u2013 despite the removal of Mountbatten-Windsor\u2019s royal titles last year over his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Why Royal Family must show Andrew \u2018isn\u2019t too pampered\u2019<\/p>\n

The former prince is thought to have been pressured to moved out of the Royal Lodge, the sprawling 30-room mansion in Windsor for which he had paid a peppercorn rent, in February.<\/p>\n

He is living temporarily at Wood Farm at Sandringham until April, when the Marsh Farm renovations are expected to be complete.<\/p>\n

The i Paper understands that King Charles<\/a> is helping out his brother financially from his own private income, rather than through the Sovereign Grant provided to the royals by taxpayers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But it is not clear exactly how much Mountbatten-Windsor is funding himself.<\/p>\n

The ex-duke\u2019s staff have been reduced for his switch to Sandringham. However, a cook and a general aide are thought to remain with him<\/a>, alongside security staff providing protection.<\/p>\n

Buckingham Palace will be \u201cacutely\u201d aware of intense public scrutiny of Andrew\u2019s lifestyle at Sandringham, one former royal aide told The i Paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is acute awareness that public patience and sympathy with Andrew will be minimal and any sign that he is living in the lap of luxury will not play well,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

\"PictureA mobile home has been installed in the grounds of Marsh Farm, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor\u2018s new home (Photo: Bav Media)<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he has lost Royal Lodge, he has lost his titles and his privileges and he has lost his standing. He is greatly reduced.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The cost of] whatever happens at Sandringham is being met by the King and a budget will have been agreed. I would not expect that budget to be especially generous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the Palace would be keen to give the impression that Andrew \u201cdoesn\u2019t have many staff, and the farm house isn\u2019t too luxurious, and he isn\u2019t too pampered\u201d.<\/p>\n

Fitzwilliams added: \u201cThe public won\u2019t like the idea of a cushy lifestyle that he doesn\u2019t deserve. It would be wise for him to live a more simple life. It would be wise if there was an impression of as much frugality as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you\u2019re dealing with someone who is entitled. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible for someone like that to even pretend to live in a more simple way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why the King still feels he has \u2018duty of care\u2019 for his brother<\/p>\n

The King decided to stop paying for Andrew\u2019s security at Windsor in 2024, according to Robert Hardman\u2019s book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story. But Buckingham Palace refused to comment on the claim.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unlikely we will ever know who is paying [for security at Sandringham],\u201d said Fitzwilliams.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe King feels he has a duty of care, and being on the Sandringham Estate offers some security for him [Mountbatten-Windsor]. In the current circumstances, having him on the Sandringham Estate is as good as can be managed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dai Davies, head of Scotland Yard\u2019s Royal Protection Command between 1994 and 1998, said he would like confirmation from Buckingham Palace about \u201cwho is paying\u201d for staff and security.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Mountbatten-Windsor] may pay for things himself, but it raises questions about how he does that,\u201d Davies told The i Paper. \u201cWe don\u2019t know how much money he has and where it\u2019s come from.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mobile home at Marsh Farm suggests that Andrew \u201cdoesn\u2019t expect lowly security people to share a house with him\u201d, added Davies.<\/p>\n

\"SANDRINGHAM,New wooden gates have been erected at Marsh Farm ahead of Mountbatten-Windsor moving in. (Photo: Martin Pope\/Getty)<\/p>\n

Reports, not denied by Buckingham Palace, suggest Mountbatten-Windsor is not allowed to leave the estate without permission, and any visitors must be approved in advance.<\/p>\n

\u2018Reasonable\u2019 for royal staff to refuse to work for Andrew<\/p>\n

Royal staff working on the Sandringham estate have reportedly been given the chance to reject the chance of dealing with Mountbatten-Windsor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They have been told they don\u2019t have to serve the farm house \u201cif they feel uncomfortable\u201d, a source told The Sun last month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to work him. It seems reasonable to ask any royal staff at Sandringham whether or not you want to work for him,\u201d said Davies.<\/p>\n

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office by Thames Valley Police last month.<\/p>\n

It followed allegations that the former prince shared sensitive information with Epstein<\/a> during his time as a UK trade envoy. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

Davies said he was not aware of any misconduct during his time in charge of Royal Protection Command.<\/p>\n

But he said it was possible that some former royal protection officers who worked closely with the former prince may have information on potential misconduct. \u201cI think there are pertinent questions, about who knew what,\u201d said the former senior officer.<\/p>\n

Royal correspondent Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy: A Royal Dynasty of Secrets, Scandal and Survival, said royal staff were relieved to no longer be working on any formal duties for Mountbatten-Windsor.<\/p>\n

Jobson previously told The i Paper that there was \u201cwithout doubt\u201d a sense of relief in the royal household at the severing of formal ties. \u201cA lot of people found him difficult,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Buckingham Palace and Mountbatten-Windsor\u2019s office have been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is under pressure to live a more \u201csimple and frugal\u201d lifestyle, as he prepares to move…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":370818,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[68532,93,61,60,11111,7426,4639],"class_list":{"0":"post-370817","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-andrew-mountbatten-windsor","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-jeffrey-epstein","13":"tag-king-charles-iii","14":"tag-royal-family"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370817\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/370818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}