Pressure is mounting on Prince Andrew to vacate the Royal Lodge in Windsor, despite the beleaguered royal having 50 years left on his lease.
Negotiations are believed to be underway between Buckingham Palace and representatives for Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who live together at the residence.
They have been there since 2002, following the death of its former resident Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Prince Andrew is facing pressure to leave the Royal Lodge. (AP)
There have been renewed calls for Prince Andrew to be ousted from the 30-bedroom home after he relinquished the use of his Duke of York title on October 27.
It followed revelations Prince Andrew mislead the public about cutting contact with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted paedophile.
What came next were new details about Prince Andrew’s lease on the Royal Lodge, which showed he had not paid rent in 20 years after an initial down payment of £1m and a further £8m in renovations to the property.
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Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are said to be in negotiations with the palace to vacate the Royal Lodge. (Getty)
Questions have been raised about how Prince Andrew can afford the upkeep of the Grade II-listed estate, believed to be around $1.2 million per year.
He is not a working royal and only receives a $40k naval pension.
King Charles cannot evict his brother under the terms of the lease with the Crown Estate – instead, Prince Andrew must voluntarily give up the property.
Palace aides are said to be in negotiations with Prince Andrew and Ferguson, presenting them with multiple proposals.
But a source close to Ferguson denied reports she or Prince Andrew had made any demands of the palace, following suggestions they had requested two properties in compensation for leaving Royal Lodge.
One of the plans would see Prince Andrew move to Frogmore Cottage, while Ferguson would be housed in Adelaide Cottage.
The Royal Lodge is located within the 1942-hectare Windsor Great Park, about a 40-minute drive from London. It is part of the Crown Estate in Windsor which covers approximately 6,400 hectares.
Windsor Great Park is adjacent to the smaller Windsor Home Park, which houses Windsor Castle and Adelaide Cottage.
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If Andrew and Ferguson do leave the Royal Lodge, here are some of the other places they could go.
Frogmore Cottage, Windsor
Prince Harry and Meghan’s former UK base, Frogmore Cottage, has previously been offered to Prince Andrew.
But he was said to have rejected the proposal, because the property is much smaller than the Royal Lodge.
Prince Harry and Meghan inside Frogmore Cottage, their UK home before moving to the US. (Netflix)
The five-bedroom home was gifted to Prince Harry and Meghan by the late Queen Elizabeth II when they married in 2018. The couple used $4.5 million in funds from the Sovereign Grant to renovate Frogmore Cottage before moving to California, but later paid the money back.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had intended to keep the home as their UK base but were forced by King Charles to hand back the keys in January 2023 after the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir Spare.
It was then offered to Prince Andrew, who refused to downgrade to the home.
Now, a friend close to Prince Andrew and Ferguson has told The Sun Frogmore Cottage would be acceptable if he is forced out of the Royal Lodge.
“He is realistic and knows the writing is on the wall and that his time at Royal Lodge is up. If he must go then he has asked for Frogmore Cottage [and] incredibly Sarah has said she wants Adelaide Cottage.”
Frogmore Cottage was renovated by Prince Harry and Meghan. (Getty)
Frogmore Cottage would keep Prince Andrew in his preferred location of Windsor, allowing him to be close to his daughters and their children, and maintain his hobby of horse riding.
The home has previously been used as a refuge for royals in turmoil. It was built at the request of Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, in 1792 as a place for her and her daughters to escape the court.
Surviving relatives of Tsar Nicholas II lived there after fleeing to the UK from Russia, after the murder of the royal family by Bolsheviks in 1918.
Adelaide Cottage, Windsor
Adelaide Cottage is the current home of Prince William and the Princess of Wales, and their three children.
They are due to move to the bigger Forest Lodge nearby, by the end of next week.
Adelaide Cottage has been their residence since August 2022, when they moved from Kensington Palace.
A photo of Adelaide Cottage, in the Home Park, Windsor, circa 1900. (Royal Collection Trust)
Adelaide Cottage, by royal standards, is a modest home. It was said to have been chosen for Prince William and Kate because it required no extra taxpayer-funded security or costly refurbishment.
It does not have any room for live-in staff.
The home has been reportedly offered to Ferguson, who would be living separately from Prince Andrew for the first time in years.
A source told The Times the new living arrangement ”indicates that they have been under immense strain this year and need a break from one another – it’s a fresh start for both”.
Much like Frogmore Cottage, Adelaide Cottage would offer privacy and protection being within Windsor’s security perimeter.
The four-bedroom property was originally built for Queen Adelaide, the wife of William IV, to be used as a summer retreat, in 1831.
The British royal family’s line of succession, as of January 2025. (9Honey/Tara Blancato)
The Grade II-listed cottage was previously used as a “grace and favour” residence for royal friends for 60 years.
One of its most famous residents was Princess Margaret’s lover Peter Townsend, who lived there in the 1940s with his first wife in his role as equerry to the King.
Many years before, Queen Victoria often visited the cottage for breakfast or tea. Her beloved King Charles spaniel Dash was buried on the cottage grounds after his death in 1840 and is remembered with a special plaque.
Craigowan Lodge, Balmoral
Prince Andrew and Ferguson are familiar with Craigowan Lodge, which is on the Balmoral estate in Scotland.
They stayed there over the summer and have regularly spent time in the property in the Scottish Highlands.
The seven-bedroom royal cottage is within distance of a nine-hole golf course on the estate, which would be of appeal to Prince Andrew.
Balmoral Castle has a number of properties that could be an option for Prince Andrew. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Get)
Balmoral is one of the King’s two privately-owned residences (along with Sandringham House) and would offer seclusion away from cameras.
The late Queen Elizabeth II spent a lot of time within the cottage and it was one of her favourite properties on the vast Balmoral estate.
Wood Farm, Sandringham
Part of the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, Wood Farm was where the late Prince Philip spent much of his time during retirement from 2017 until his death in 2021.
However, the modest property would likely be viewed as a major downgrade for Prince Andrew after the Royal Lodge. Its décor and modest furniture have previously been described as “suburban” in comparison to the grandeur of other royal residences.
The five-bedroom farmhouse sits on its own land and is accessed via Sandringham’s main Norwich Gates.
The Norwich Gates are the grand entry to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. (Getty)
Wood Farm has been a retreat of sorts for the royals for many years. Queen Elizabeth used to spend time with Prince Philip there during his retirement, while Ferguson would go there after her divorce from Prince Andrew when Prince Philip didn’t want her staying in the main house. Prince William and Kate also stayed there before their marriage.
The Sandringham estate has 27 properties, including the main house which is where the royals spent Christmas.
The Castle of Mey, Scotland
The Queen Mother’s retreat, the Castle of Mey in the far north of Scotland, is another possibility.
The castle was purchased by the King’s grandmother in the 1950s who restored the dilapidated rural estate back to life.
The Castle of Mey in Scotland was the retreat of the late Queen Mother. (PA Images via Getty Images)
She spent her holidays there until October, 2001, and King Charles has been a frequent visitor ever since.
Escape from the UK
Public pressure on Prince Andrew and Fergie could see them move away from the UK altogether, however unlikely that may seem.
According to The Sun, they have been offered the use of a palace in Abu Dhabi by its ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Switzerland has also been touted as an option. He and Ferguson previously owned a ski chalet in Verbier, which sold in 2022.
There have also been suggestions Prince Andrew and Ferguson could follow Prince Harry and Meghan’s lead by moving to the United States.
Fergie was embraced by Americans when she went over there during her challenging post-divorce period, striking success with various commercial ventures.
If none of the above options work out, King Charles may buy a house for his younger brother.
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