Prince Andrew is set to relocate to King Charles’s 8,000-hectare Sandringham Estate in Norfolk after it was announced he will leave the 31-bedroom Royal Lodge in Windsor and be stripped of his remaining titles.
His new accommodation will be privately funded by the King, while Sarah Ferguson must now find her own residence, despite Andrew’s demands for a home for them each.
The move follows weeks of mounting public criticism surrounding Andrew’s long-standing friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and the sexual abuse allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, which he has strenuously denied.
He has also faced severe scrutiny by MPs and the public after it was revealed he hadn’t paid rent on the Royal Lodge in over 20 years.
Price Andrew has faced mounting pressure to vacate the Royal Lodge (AFP/Getty)
A statement from the palace said: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
“Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation.
Now, the former prince will move to a private property on the vast 8,000-hectare Sandringham Estate in the Norfolk countryside.
Sandringham House (Alamy/PA)
The private estate, which has been the private home of five generations of British monarchs for more than 150 years, is often used to host family engagements, including Christmas.
Sandringham was once a beloved retreat of Queen Elizabeth and is now a favourite of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
King George V once described Sandringham as “the place I love better than anywhere else in the world.”
The estate is able to be visited by the public and includes an organic farm, sawmill, a museum, gardens, and hundreds of residential properties.
It is unclear what property Andrew will be set to move into, but it will likely be a downsize from the 30-room mansion he has lived in for more than 20 years.
The Sandringham Estate is well-loved by the royal family (PA)
The main property on the estate is Sandringham House, which was purchased by Queen Victoria for the former Prince of Wales, Edward VII, in 1862.
The main house was rebuilt in 1870 to ensure it was big enough for his growing family.
It is typically used as a country residence for the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth would spend her winter months in Sandringham, and King Charles also spent time there as he received treatment for cancer.
Sandringham’s vast surrounding estate is home to 150 properties, including Wood Farm, a five-bedroom farmhouse, which has been speculated as one of Andrew’s likely new homes.
St Mary Magdalene, the parish church of Sandringham, is used as a place of worship by the Royal Family (PA)
According to its website, the estate includes villages and hamlets, including West Newton and Sherborne, and has residential properties in 13 villages, let to people living and working locally.
Three of these are currently listed to let, including a two-bedroom red brick terraced house in Flitcham village, for £975 per calendar month.
Anmer Hall, a 10-bedroom country house gifted to Prince William and Princess Catherine, also sits on Sandringham.
It is understood that Andrew will move into a property on the estate, which will be funded privately by the King, “as soon as practicable”.
His move to Sandringham is also said to include an “appropriate” private provision from the King, and any other sources of income will be a matter for the former duke.