Prince Andrew, Duke of York, has agreed to vacate his Windsor residence after reportedly losing the backing of his former wife and long-time ally, Sarah Ferguson, marking the end of one of the most unusual post-divorce arrangements in modern royal history.
For nearly three decades after their 1996 divorce, the pair continued to share the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, a living arrangement that had long fascinated royal watchers. But sources close to Ferguson say she has now decided to “make her own plans” and will not accompany Andrew to his new residence on the King’s Sandringham estate.
A spokesperson for Ferguson declined to comment, but insiders say she informed friends that she would leave once Andrew’s position became untenable.
The decision follows renewed controversy surrounding the disgraced royal’s continued contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Newly surfaced court documents include a 2010 email in which Andrew wrote to Epstein suggesting it would be “good to catch up in person” — months after Epstein’s release from prison. The correspondence also referenced a possible meeting with American banker Jes Staley.
The revelations have reignited public and political debate. UK trade minister Sir Chris Bryant told the BBC that Andrew should “comply” with any U.S. request for questioning over his relationship with Epstein, saying, “I would expect any decently minded person to comply with that request.”
Within Buckingham Palace, patience with the Duke has reportedly run out. A royal insider told The Times that King Charles’s decision to remove his brother’s remaining titles and evict him from Royal Lodge demonstrates the monarch’s “steel.”
According to sources, the King personally telephoned Andrew to deliver the news after first consulting advisers on his brother’s state of mind, asking privately, “Can he cope?”
By Friday evening, the King had formally signed documents initiating the process to strip Andrew of his residual styles and honours — a move coming just two weeks after the Duke announced he would no longer use the title “Duke of York.”
A subsequent palace statement underscored the tone of royal resolve: “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
Behind palace walls, aides are said to have debated Andrew’s welfare and future for months. Ferguson, who earlier this year sold a Mayfair property to establish a trust for their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, is now expected to find new accommodation independently.
Andrew will reportedly receive private financial support from the King as he relocates to Sandringham, where he is expected to live in a form of quiet exile.
The political implications of the scandal continue to reverberate. Several senior Labour MPs have raised concerns about Andrew’s continued position in the royal line of succession. Though stripped of his public duties and titles, he remains eighth in line to the throne — a situation one minister described as “untenable in principle” and potentially “a constitutional embarrassment.”