The disgraced former Duke of York has moved out of the Royal Lodge. Before officially moving into Marsh Farm, he is rumored to be seeking a temporary home at Wood Farm – a haven where members of the royal family sought "complete privacy".
Late on Monday night, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor quietly moved out of the Royal Lodge where he had lived for 23 years. He was expelled for maintaining a controversial friendship with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Previously, his brother King Charles stripped him of his title of "Prince" and his right to reside in the Royal Lodge in October last year. Since then, he is no longer known as Prince Andrew.
Although Andrew was expected to eventually move to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate, the recent exposure of a batch of Epstein-related emails has made his situation worse, causing the former Duke of York to leave the Royal Lodge earlier than expected and is now believed to be living in temporary accommodation. Faced with various accusations from the outside world, Mountbatten-Windsor has always firmly denied them.
The disgraced former duke has reportedly moved into Wood Farm. This five-bedroom cottage is situated in a secluded corner of the estate, with open sea views. For Andrew, who is used to owning 30-room mansions, this is undoubtedly a huge "downgrade" – it is said that he had previously refused to move into Frogmore Cottage (Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's former residence) because it was "not grand enough". Yet for the man once regarded as the late Queen's beloved son, Wood Farm held a special and complex emotional connection.
This traditional Norfolk-style cottage was the cherished home of Andrew's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. In 2017, after retiring from royal duties at the age of 96, Prince Philip spent his retirement life in this idyllic residence. The late Queen often came here to visit her husband during his lifetime, and the two of them enjoyed the tranquil countryside scenery together, overlooking Wash Bay, and temporarily escaped the heavy pressure and hustle and bustle brought by the crown.
Life at Wood Farm was said to be far more relaxed and comfortable than at Sandringham. Staff are not required to wear uniforms, and according to The Times, the Queen was even happy to help with the cooking during her stay there. In the early years of their marriage, the two were often photographed here visiting the horses or fishing by the estate's pond. Prince Philip is known to have spent much of his later years here painting, reading, tending his truffle farm and driving his beloved carriage. It is said that the walls of Wood Farm are still decorated with art paintings of Prince Philip.
The cottage has long been a retreat for members of the royal family. Although the previous purpose was very different from the nature of Andrew's current exile. Wood Farm is regarded as a guesthouse for visitors who require "absolute privacy": Princess Diana stayed here with the late Queen before her engagement to Prince Charles; Kate, Princess of Wales, also stayed here during the early days of her relationship with Prince William.
However, the royal history of Wood Farm can be traced back to 1917, and it has a sad color. Queen Mary's youngest son, Prince John, spent most of his short life here. He was hidden from public view because he suffered from epilepsy and his family feared that his seizure in public would affect the image of the royal family. Under the care of his governess, Charlotte "Lara" Beale, the young prince raised a flock of chickens and occasionally received visits from his grandmother, Queen Alexandra, as a guest. The boy known as the "Lost Prince" finally passed away here at the age of 13, leaving an indelible mark on the history of this building.
Now, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has become the latest royal to hide from prying eyes at Wood Farm. Presumably this was merely a stopgap measure before moving to Marsh Farm, a farmhouse on the estate that was once described by the press as a "ramshackle bog".
According to reports, Andrew has visited Marsh Farm, but the results did not meet his expectations. "That was the first time he saw his new house and he had to accept that this was his future," the Mirror quoted a source as saying. "He had come to the conclusion that he had to move on with the rest of his life and had to accept reality and adapt to the situation as best he could."
It appears that efforts have been underway to renovate Marsh Farm in preparation for the former prince's arrival, which is said to be scheduled for February. The Daily Telegraph reported earlier this month that workers were installing lighting and security cameras, while The Sun revealed an unfortunate number of mole hills in the garden had also attracted pest control staff.
