Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ‘moves out of Royal Lodge home’ amid Epstein controversy

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has moved out of his home in Windsor to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, according to reports.

Sources told the BBC that the former prince left Royal Lodge on Monday night and is currently living on the Sandringham Estate while his permanent property undergoes renovations.

The Palace had previously announced he would leave the property "as soon as possible and practicable", following the revelations about his relationship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein and the stripping of his royal titles.

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.

open image in gallery

It is believed he will ultimately live at Marsh Farm on the estate, according to the BBC. The former prince is expected to return to Windsor over the next few weeks in order to collect his remaining belongings, but his permanent base will now be in Norfolk.

The former prince was last seen riding on horseback in Windsor on Monday, and was later photographed driving away from Windsor Castle waving at passers by.

A statement about Royal Lodge in October said "formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease."

Andrew featured numerous times in the latest tranche of documents on Epstein released by the US Department of Justice on Friday. These include images that appear to show him crouched over an unidentified woman in Epstein's New York mansion.

Epstein also appeared to introduce Andrew to a woman described by the paedophile as "26, Russian, clevere (sic) beautiful, trustworthy".

open image in gallery

In 2022, the former duke paid millions of pounds to his main accuser, Virginia Giuffre – a woman he claims never to have met. He was stripped of his titles by the King last year after the posthumous publication of a book from Ms Giuffre.

Andrew has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

His brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, said it was important to “remember the victims” in the first words spoken by a royal since the latest tranche of documents came out.

In response to being asked how he was coping by a CNN journalist during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Prince Edward said: “Well, with the best will in the world, I’m not sure this is the audience that is the least bit interested in that.

open image in gallery

“They all came here to listen to education, solving the future, but no, I think it’s all really important, always, to remember the victims and who are the victims in all this.”

Separately, Thames Valley Police are reviewing new claims that a young woman was sent for a sexual encounter with the former prince in the UK in 2010. Her US lawyers allege that she spent the night at the Royal Lodge residence.

The woman, who is not British, was later given a tour of Buckingham Palace, it is also claimed.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: "We are aware of reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes.

"We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures.

"We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward.”