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Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, is facing an undeniable upheaval to his life. On Thursday evening, Buckingham Palace announced that the King's younger brother would be leaving his home in Windsor, Royal Lodge, and moving to "alternative private accommodation". It comes amid renewed scrutiny over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. While such accommodation has not been revealed, HELLO! understands that Andrew is moving to Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. So what will his new life look like? For a man who has spent more than two decades living in a lavish 30-room mansion in Windsor, a downgrade to a smaller property on the coast may come as a shock. It is thought that Andrew, 65, will not move into Wood Farm, a five-bedroom secluded country bolthole that his late father Prince Philip spent his retired years in. Other properties that he could be given, however, include York Cottage, which was originally known as Bachelor's Cottage, or Gardens House, which was once the residence of the head gardener on the Sandringham estate. Andrew's day-to-day life But while his physical living arrangements will mark a big change, Andrew's actual lifestyle may not vary that much. HELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash noted in her newsletter on The HELLO! Royal Club: "His day-to-day life may not actually look all that different from that at Windsor, given he has been living largely out of the public eye since 2019. "Andrew has often been seen out riding in recent years and that’s something he could easily continue at Sandringham, which is home to the Royal Stud. And as his disastrous Newsnight interview confirmed, he is fond of a 'straightforward shooting weekend', so he will have plenty of opportunity to indulge in that sport on the Norfolk Estate." Public appearances As Emily stated, Andrew does tend to keep a low profile anyway. But now with the removal of his titles, style and honours, it's expected that he will not be making any official public appearances with the rest of the royal family. HELLO!'s Royal Correspondent Danielle Stacey noted: "While we have seen Andrew at events such as Easter and the Duchess of Kent's funeral in recent months, I understand that Andrew will no longer attend occasions such as the Christmas Day walkabout publicly. It's very unlikely that he will join members of the royal family for large-scale public events again in the near future." When will Andrew move out? It's understood that Andrew will move out of Royal Lodge as soon as it is practical. His new accommodation will be provided for by the King, who will be footing the bill. Because the Sandringham estate is the rumoured contender, it would make sense for Andrew to relocate after Christmas, to avoid any awkward run-ins with the rest of the royal family. The King usually hosts his family for Christmas at Sandringham House every year. On a practical point, the process of surrendering the lease to Royal Lodge and other formalities is similar to buying a property, which can be complex and drawn out. Therefore, it will more likely be a matter of weeks before Andrew vacates, rather than days.
