King Charles has made the decisive move to relocate his brother, the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, to the private Sandringham estate in Norfolk. This follows the King's bombshell statement last week, where he voiced his support for survivors of abuse and confirmed the process of stripping Andrew of all his royal titles.
The End of an Era at Royal Lodge
The 30-room Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle, Andrew's lavish home since 2003, had become a massive point of contention. Public outcry reached a fever pitch when it was revealed that Andrew had barely paid any rent for the Grade II listed property, with 80 percent of Brits polled believing he should be evicted.
However, King Charles could not legally force his brother out. Andrew held an "iron-clad" 75-year lease with the Crown Estate. Instead, the disgraced former duke had to be persuaded to leave of his own accord, which he finally did after being offered a new home on the monarch's privately-owned Sandringham estate.
A "Neat Solution" with a Financial Incentive
Royal expert Andrew Lownie, author of a biography on Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, described the move as a "neat solution" to the housing controversy. He revealed that Andrew had to be paid a significant sum to relinquish his strong lease on Royal Lodge, into which he had put £8.5 million with the expectation it would be for his children until 2078.
"One has to be practical," Lownie explained, "This was the only way to get him out, and it’s not taxpayer's money that's being spent... I think it has lanced the boil and averted what was turning out to be a major crisis." It is understood that Sarah Ferguson will not be joining Andrew in Norfolk, opting to find her own home elsewhere.
Norfolk Locals Give a Chilly Reception
While the move may solve a problem for the House of Windsor, some residents on the 20,000-acre Sandringham estate are less than thrilled. Jacqueline Hargreaves, a 73-year-old resident of three decades, was blunt in her assessment.
"We don’t want him here. What would we want him here for?" she said, adding that if she crossed paths with Andrew while walking her dog, "I'd just keep walking." She suggested he should "go and sit with Trump" in America instead.
Pub worker Kate Cook expressed a similar sentiment, stating, "I think if he had any real sense of propriety, he would maybe just keep himself to himself." Other locals voiced that they would either ignore him or might not be able to stop themselves from challenging him if they saw him in the area.
The palace has not announced which of the estate's approximately 150 properties Andrew will occupy, but it is clear his presence will be a point of discussion and discontent among his new neighbours in Norfolk for the foreseeable future.
