King Charles Orders Andrew to Surrender Royal Lodge — Banishes Him to Most 'Haunted' Family Home

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and King Charles at the vigil in memory of Queen Elizabeth. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Oct. 31 2025, Published 02:51 AM. ET

After weeks of speculation over Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's future at Royal Lodge, the former Duke of York is officially vacating the property following renewed scrutiny over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. In a bombshell announcement on October 30, Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles had stripped Andrew of all his royal titles, including 'Prince.' While the statement confirmed that his glory days at Royal Lodge are over, it remained vague about where he would relocate next. However, a new report understands that he will be relocated to a private property on the Sandringham estate.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee at St Paul's Cathedral on June 5, 2012 in London, England. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Max Mumby/Indigo) — Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and King Charles attend a Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. (Image Source: Getty Images| Max Mumby/Indigo)

The Palace statement read, "His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honors of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor." It continued, "His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation." The Palace’s carefully worded statement went on to express sympathy for the victims of abuse while stressing that Andrew continues to deny the charges brought against him.

The official statement from Buckingham Palace announcing Andrew's title change. (Image Source: X | Royal Communications)

Shortly after the Palace's statement, a new report by PEOPLE confirmed that Andrew will be relocating to a cottage on the Sandringham estate. As per The Daily Beast, the remote royal cottage has a reputation for being haunted, with staff and visitors claiming unexplained noises, cold drafts, and ghostly footsteps. Some have also reported that the library, servants' quarters, and older corridors are particularly eerie, especially around Christmas.

As per reports, Andrew's 'cast iron' lease had complicated the process, as Charles, by oath, must uphold the laws of the country. Consequently, all parties were forced to negotiate for Andrew to agree to formally surrender the lease. It had also been speculated that he might move to one of the large royal estates in Scotland or Norfolk. However, he has reportedly expressed a desire to remain close to his two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who live in London and the southeast of England.

A picture of Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. (Image Source: Getty Images | Max Mumby - Indigo)

Despite being stripped of his Duke of York title earlier this month and cut off from royal duties, Andrew had managed to hold onto Royal Lodge far longer than expected. Just a few days back, it was reported that he told Palace aides that he would leave Royal Lodge only if he could relocate to Frogmore Cottage, while Sarah Ferguson could move to Adelaide Cottage.