Former prince prepares to leave Royal Lodge home
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor made a rare public appearance on the Windsor estate this week, briefly stopping to speak with dog walkers after their pets blocked the path of his Range Rover on the Long Walk. Photographs also showed him smiling behind the wheel of the black SUV.
The sighting comes as the former Duke of York prepares to leave Royal Lodge, his longtime home in Windsor. A removal van was seen outside the property earlier in the week, and he is expected to move to temporary accommodation on the Sandringham estate while renovation work is completed at Marsh Farm, the residence he is due to occupy by Easter.
Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge for 22 years under a 75-year lease negotiated in 2003, which allowed him to occupy the property rent-free in exchange for funding upkeep and permitting inspections. The Daily Mail recently reported that no inspections had taken place during his time there.
The former prince has largely withdrawn from public life following scrutiny of his association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has faced accusations from Virginia Giuffre, which he continues to deny, and was criticised by U.S. politicians for not responding to a request for an interview regarding his dealings with Epstein.
Images released in the recent tranche of Epstein court documents showed Andrew lying across the laps of several women; the pictures did not suggest any criminality.
Andrew also drew attention over his previous decade-long role as the UK’s trade envoy, during which media reports alleged he favoured luxury accommodation at taxpayer expense and used his position to advance personal interests. One report claimed he had prostitutes brought to his hotel room during a visit to Bangkok, and another alleged he helped arrange an appointment in China for his business associate David Rowlands.
