Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Offered Temporary New Home as Royal Lodge Exit Looms

The gates of Royal Lodge may soon close behind the former royal — but the doors at Marsh Farm are being readied. From new fencing to satellite TV, the transformation hints at a looming move. Photos of the work underway at the rural property can be found at the end of the article.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is reportedly preparing to relocate from Royal Lodge ahead of his 66th birthday, with work well underway to ready what is believed to be his next residence on the King's Sandringham Estate.

Marsh Farm, a secluded property in the quiet Norfolk village of Wolferton, is undergoing significant renovations before the former Duke of York moves in — first temporarily, then permanently by Easter.

Sky engineers were seen at the property this week, scaling ladders to install satellite television while security upgrades included a six-foot-high wooden fence and new perimeter lighting.

A team of at least six workers braved the elements to carry out the work, using a JCB digger and vehicles from a local security firm.

The farmhouse, which had been left in a state of disrepair following the death of its previous tenant, is expected to be ready for Mountbatten-Windsor later this year. In the meantime, he is expected to move into a smaller, temporary property on the Norfolk estate by the end of January.

A Palace insider confirmed the urgency of the refurbishment, revealing, "The snow or rain hasn't delayed the work on Marsh Farm, but it still needs a lot of attention to make it habitable. But one thing for sure is that it is a lot, lot smaller and less luxurious than Royal Lodge."

The farm lies just two miles from Sandringham House and is located near Wood Farm — Prince Philip's former retirement home.

While Mountbatten-Windsor had hoped to move into the five-bedroom cottage, concerns that doing so would place him too close to other family members meant the plan was dismissed.

The prospect of Mountbatten-Windsor's scaled-back living arrangements quickly sparked debate online. Reacting to images of the property and its visible security measures, one person commented, "Well, it DOES look like a prison."

Another typed, "Welp. The remodeling will give him something to do." Others struck a more pragmatic tone. "It's a big house and he's not paying for it, so maybe some gratitude is in order," shared one observer, while another added, "Live and learn, sometimes the hard way."

Questions over space and privilege also surfaced. "Why on earth does one man need any more space than this [sic]. Most people live in a lot smaller houses with a family," one person remarked.

Another commented, "Would kill for that he needs to roll his sleeves up and get to work on it [sic]." However, not all reactions were critical. Reflecting on the rural setting, one netizen said, "Yet, I would love to live there; especially if there is farmland to plant and grow veggies."

Mountbatten-Windsor's reported departure from Royal Lodge marks the end of a 22-year stay in the 30-room Windsor property, which he occupied rent-free under a lease signed in 2003.

While he paid £8 million to refurbish the then-dilapidated mansion, the agreement also allowed officials from the Crown Estate to inspect the property at any time.

He remained at Royal Lodge with his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, despite their divorce in 1996. She has lived in the Grade II-listed mansion since 2008 and previously told the Daily Mail, "We're the happiest divorced couple in the world."

However, that long-standing arrangement is now ending. A friend of Mountbatten-Windsor told to The Sun, "He's finally decided he needs to get on with his life and so is moving out sooner than thought and starting afresh by the end of the month, or at least before his birthday in February."

The former royal's forced exit from Royal Lodge comes after years of mounting scandal linked to his association with the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

Virginia Giuffre alleged she was trafficked to Mountbatten-Windsor on three occasions when she was 17. He has consistently denied the claims but paid millions to settle the case before her death in April last year.

Under sustained pressure from King Charles III, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor relinquished his royal titles before his status as a prince was formally removed in November.

For now, his future appears confined to a quieter, more isolated existence in Norfolk, far removed from both Royal Lodge and the public role he once held.

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