Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Eyeing Move to the 'Hamptons of Europe' to Be Among Celebs Again
Sources say the former Duchess is preparing to swap Windsor for her daughter’s coastal mansion in Portugal.
After being banished from Royal Lodge, insiders claim Sarah Ferguson is preparing for a cross-continental retreat, one that could take her from Windsor’s chill to what many call the ‘Hamptons of Europe,’ much like her former husband, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. If the rumors are to be believed, it would not be just a temporary escape, but the first step in a self-imposed exile, a wish to start anew.
King Charles' notice to vacate Royal Lodge, the sprawling Windsor estate long shared by the former Yorks, has set off a chain reaction. Mountbatten Windsor, according to reports, is being moved to a more modest residence on the Sandringham estate. Ferguson, however, appears to have been left out of the Palace’s relocation plan entirely, prompting a scramble for her own next chapter. For someone who has spent decades orbiting the royals but never quite securing her place within it, this latest move can be intended and predicted.
Enter Portugal, specifically the celebrity-studded Atlantic stretch, where Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank own a $4.7 million home. The Daily Mail reports that Ferguson “is preparing to flee the UK and swap Windsor for her daughter’s $4.7 million mansion in the ‘Hamptons of Europe’ on Portugal's Atlantic coast this winter.” The choice makes sense as the sun, privacy, and no Palace courtiers are what she needs now. Not to forget, a built-in support system in the form of her daughter.
As per reports, locals are already bracing for a January arrival. “The word here is that Fergie will be arriving sometime in January [2026],” a source told the outlet. Another source told The Daily Express, “How long she'll stay is anyone's guess, but if it's a long-term move, I can guarantee she'll fit well into the social scene. Scores of celebrities and Hollywood stars have been snapping up properties in the area.”
Meanwhile, Mountbatten Windsor is reportedly planning an unceremonious exile to Abu Dhabi. The idea of him easing into life in the UAE isn’t far-fetched. The city’s tightly controlled media landscape and its built-in respect for hierarchy create the kind of bubble where he could move quietly and still enjoy the trappings of status. Royal biographer Andrew Lownie, the author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of The Yorks, said, “He would be happy living somewhere where the media is muzzled, where he will still be treated as a senior royal and where he can easily live under the radar.”
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Fergusson attend the Easter Mattins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on Easter Sunday. (Image Source: Getty Images | Samir Hussein)It seems all the more possible because Abu Dhabi is hardly unfamiliar territory for Mountbatten Windsor. He has been dropping in for years, often with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in tow. The villa being considered, a six-bedroom property with a home cinema and an indoor plunge pool, might give him the glam life he would miss out on here in the UK.
