Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's final Christmas at Royal Lodge 'revealed' following title decision
Andrew has been ordered to vacate Royal Lodge in Windsor
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is expected to spend one final Christmas at Royal Lodge, despite being formally stripped of his royal titles and honours by King Charles.
The royal will move out of his 30-room Windsor mansion he has called home since 2004, following years of controversy surrounding his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on October 30 that Andrew had returned the lease to The Crown Estate.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to ‘spend Christmas at Royal Lodge’
The palace initially claimed that Andrew’s move would take place “as soon as practically possible”. However, insiders now claim that his departure may not happen until February.
The delay is reportedly due to the sheer scale of downsizing from his sprawling Royal Lodge estate to a much smaller home on the Sandringham estate.
One source claimed that the move “won’t happen this side of Christmas”.
“He has a large house where he has lived for a long time,” they told The Sun. “He will be moving into a more modest house. So, logically, it won’t happen this side of Christmas.”
Andrew’s new property has not been officially confirmed, but it has reportedly been approved by King Charles. He is not expected to be joined by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has lived with him at Royal Lodge.
Despite his fall from grace, Andrew is said to be determined to remain at Royal Lodge for one last Christmas. He is not expected to join the wider royal family at Sandringham on Christmas Day, a tradition he also skipped last year.
Andrew allegations
Andrew’s removal from Royal Lodge is the latest repercussion of his involvement with Epstein.
After a disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, where he attempted to explain his association with the convicted sex offender, Andrew stepped back from public duties.
In 2021, he was sued by Virginia Giuffre. Ms Giuffre alleged she had been trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17.
Andrew has always vehemently denied the allegations. In 2022, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre. He maintained that the settlement did not represent an admission of guilt.
In October 2025, scrutiny reignited after Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir was published, including fresh details about her accusations against Andrew.
In addition, leaked emails from 2011 also showed Andrew continued contact with Epstein even after publicly claiming he had cut ties in December 2010.
On October 17, Andrew announced he would cease using his Duke of York title voluntarily.
But by the end of the month, King Charles had taken the unprecedented step of formally stripping his brother of all remaining royal honours, including his title of “prince”. The process was finalised with the issuance of a Letters Patent in early November.
As he faces a lonely Christmas and uncertain future, insiders say Andrew remains reluctant to let go of Royal Lodge.
Royal Insider has contacted reps for Andrew for comment.
Read more: Royal family website updates line of succession over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s title change
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