Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor are in ‘fragile state’ say friends say as couple prepare to leave Royal Lodge and shamed royal ‘makes first visit to his new home’

As the deadline for their exit from Royal Lodge approaches, the ‘fragile’ state of Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is becoming increasingly a source of concern for the rest of their friends.

The couple, shamed for their association with billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and ostracized by royals including King Charles and Prince William, face an uncertain future as they leave the rent-free property in Windsor on January 30.

Andrew’s outcast status appears to have been confirmed by the news that Eugenie has cut off all contact with him following the Epstein scandal.

It comes after it was revealed today that the former Prince secretly made his first visit to his new home at Sandringham.

The Daily Mail has learned that fewer and fewer people remain close to the couple and have become increasingly worried about them both in recent weeks.

Fergie is said to be prone to bursting into tears on a daily basis, while the collapse of Andrew’s social support network leaves her demoralized ahead of a move that will leave her even more disconnected.

Andrew, 65, who was stripped of his royal titles in October after he was caught lying about his relationship with the financier, is said to be ‘devastated’ to be estranged from his young daughter last year following months of more damaging revelations about his relationship with Epstein.

Amid growing concerns about Andrew’s deteriorating mental health, police not only canceled his firearms license late last year, but it was also reported that he had removed his gun collection for safekeeping at other royal properties.

Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson live together at Royal Lodge in an unusual domestic arrangement, despite ending their marriage nearly three decades ago.

Andrew was spotted riding at Windsor Castle on Saturday; Just weeks before he is expected to vacate the Royal Lodge

But after the former couple are forced out of Royal Lodge, Andrew is moving to Marsh Farm in Norfolk, on his brother Charles’ estate – although it’s unclear where Sarah Ferguson will go.

A minibus arrives at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate as Andrew prepares to move.

In a further blow to Andrew, his daughter Eugenie, 35, who founded the Anti-Slavery Collective against sex trafficking, is said to have taken a dim view of her father’s refusal to apologize to Epstein’s victims and did not visit him at Christmas.

As he prepares to head to Norfolk in the next two weeks, his final home, Marsh Farm, on the Sandringham Estate, is being worked on by builders and is far from ready, according to royal sources.

‘He’ll probably have to live at Sandringham House until Marsh Farm is finished,’ a source said.

The salaries of 4-5 staff working as housekeeper, cook, gardener and cleaner at the Royal Lodge are paid.

‘Obviously they don’t want to move to Norfolk and have been laid off on generous terms as many are nearing retirement age,’ the source said.

‘I suspect Andrew will have more of a core staff when he eventually moves to Marsh Farm, as it’s unrealistic to employ that many people to look after one person alone.’

As its name suggests, Marsh Farm is located in a flood plain and below sea level; Nearby residents are being advised to sign up for Environment Agency warnings if local measures fail to stop a flood of water from a nearby marsh and the North Sea a mile away.

Andrew is understood to have made his first visit to the Wolferton home earlier this week.

As its name suggests, Marsh Farm (pictured) is in a flood plain and below sea level, and nearby residents are advised to sign up for Environment Agency warnings.

An engineer has installed Sky Broadband at Marsh Farm, where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is expected to move in earlier this month

Workers carry out work at Marsh Farm as the land is prepared for the former Prince

As Andrew prepares to head to Norfolk in the next two weeks, his final home, Marsh Farm on the Sandringham Estate, is being worked on by builders and is far from ready, according to royal sources.

A truck is seen at Marsh Farm in Norfolk as builders continue work on the site

A friend told The Sun: ‘It was the first time she had seen her new home and she had resigned herself to the fact that this was her future.

‘He comes to the conclusion that he has to live out the rest of his life and accepts that he has to make the most of it.’

Andrew reportedly wanted to live at Wood Farm in Sandringham, a five-bedroom cottage near stables and pheasant shooting grounds, but there were concerns it would leave him ‘too close’ to the rest of the family.

While Beatrice, 37, walks the delicate path of keeping in touch with her father, mother and the rest of the Royal Family, some of those close to Fergie are also concerned about her health.

Fergie, 66, recently told friends that the stripping of her and Andrew’s titles and royal accommodation at the direction of Prince William and King Charles was ‘not good for my mental health’.

He admitted: ‘They are out for blood from every angle.’

According to a source close to the former Duchess of York: ‘She is on a knife and cries several times a day. ‘Really unsure of what the future holds.’

While various theories have been put forward as to where Fergie will end up living after her ex-husband heads to Norfolk for a lonely life at Sandringham Estate, it’s still unclear.

The ‘fragile’ situation of both Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is becoming increasingly a source of concern for the rest of their friends

A sturdy one and a half meter high wooden fence has emerged around parts of the Marsh Farm perimeter

Sturdy new privacy fence replaces the flimsy wire that stood before and provides a good view from the road

A worker takes measurements to install new security lights on one of the red brick walls

Sign for the village of Wolferton near Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate

A transport truck left Andrew’s Royal Lodge in Windsor in heavy rain last week

Andrew appeared to be traveling in a Range Rover as he left the Royal Lodge last week

Some believe he would prefer to spend most of his time at Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank’s luxury Portuguese villa at the exclusive CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club on the Alentejan coastline south of Lisbon.

Prices at the gated resort start from around £3.6 million for a villa, and A-list neighbors in the area include Madonna, F1 driver Max Verstappen and shoe mogul Christian Louboutin.

Beatrice invited Andrew to the christening of her 11-month-old daughter Athena in London last month, but it may be significant that Andrew did not attend the party held at a local pub afterwards.

It’s unclear whether Eugenie spoke to her father at the celebration.

The deterioration of relations between Andrew and Eugenie inflicts humiliation on the disgraced former prince, who is preparing to leave Royal Lodge, his home of Windsor Manor for two decades.

Last week, a moving truck was spotted on the property as it began the years-long process of going through items.

Big white lorries come and go from Royal Lodge, where Andrew still drives around in Range Rovers and does some serious horseback riding.

It is understood he will initially move to a smaller property on the Sandringham estate while work on Marsh Farm is completed, but he should take up permanent residence there by Easter.

In place of the old fence, a 6-foot wooden privacy fence has been erected around the farm, which is a stone’s throw from the public road.

Workers were seen driving JCBs in the garden and installing security lights to make the garden fit for a former prince.

The drone ban on Sandringham was extended to Andrew’s new area last autumn.

Andrew was said to have been encouraged to stay in London over Christmas to avoid being close to the royal family, who are spending the festive season at Sandringham.

Beatrice and Eugenie faced a difficult decision about where to spend Christmas. They eventually attended the royal family’s Christmas Day church service in Norfolk and later joined their extended family at Sandringham.

They had been invited by King Charles, who was said to be determined to protect the princesses.