Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor gets one last Christmas at Royal Lodge… with royal sources admitting his presence on the King’s private Norfolk estate over the festive season would have been ‘suboptimal’
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will spend one last Christmas at his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
This means the former Duke of York will not move to Sandringham until the New Year and go into permanent royal exile.
The Royal Family will undoubtedly breathe a sigh of relief at this news; sources admit the former prince’s presence at the King’s private Norfolk estate during the festive season, when most senior royals reside, would be ‘insufficient’.
Buckingham Palace, which last month announced its decision to strip the King’s brother of his remaining royal titles and have him leave Windsor, said only that the move would take place ‘as soon as practicable’.
Now the Daily Mail has confirmed it won’t happen this time around Christmas, with Andrew not completing his move to Sandringham until 2026.
Sources said the ‘practice’ of packing up his belongings from the ten-bedroom Royal Lodge, where he has lived on Windsor Manor for more than 30 years, and moving to his new, unnamed home was ‘a pretty significant logistical process if nothing else’.
He also needs to negotiate an early end to his 75-year lease on the property from the Crown Estate; which some fear could put him in line for compensation given the work he has already carried out on the property.
But happily, it will also overlook Andrew, who has lost everything because of his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, as the Royal Family gathers in Norfolk on Christmas Eve for the annual festive holiday.
It has now emerged that the former Duke of York (pictured) will not be moving to Sandringham and permanent royal exile until the New Year.
Sources said the ‘practice’ of packing up his belongings at the Royal Lodge (pictured) and moving to his undisclosed new home was ‘a pretty significant logistical process if nothing else’.
Senior royals then walk with the King to church on Christmas morning before dining at Sandringham House.
A source said the situation could be ‘pretty awkward’ at a time when Andrew is clearly not welcome.
It won’t be anywhere near the ‘Big House’ [the nickname given to the monarch’s home at Sandringham]’ they confirmed.
They explained that although the move to the mansion won’t happen anytime soon due to logistical reasons, people are acutely aware that any physical closeness with his family at such a special time of year will make his exclusion ‘even more thorny’.
Sandringham was chosen because it was the personal property of the monarch; This means Andrew’s living arrangements can be completely privately arranged and, importantly, financed.
The Royal Lodge was leased from the Crown Estate and its profits were returned to the Government for public expenditure; This made his ‘pepper rent’ agreement even more controversial. The palace will not disclose his new location for security reasons.
It was revealed that Prince Edward paid peppercorn rent for the 51-acre land in his Surrey mansion, Bagshot Park, which he rented from the Crown Estate for 25 years.
He paid £5 million upfront for the 150-year lease, but is only paying a peppercorn rent under the terms of a lease extension signed with his company, Eclipse Nominees Limited, in 2007, The Times reported.
