Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has left Royal Lodge in Windsor and relocated to accommodation on the Sandringham Estate, according to updates from broadcasters on 3 February 2026. He is expected to settle at Marsh Farm once renovation work concludes. Buckingham Palace had confirmed on 30 October 2025 that his titles and honours would be removed and that formal notice had been served to surrender the Royal Lodge lease; he denies wrongdoing. (news.sky.com)
Press Association reporting via ITV indicates the move to Sandringham is staged, with a short stay at Wood Farm before a transfer to Marsh Farm, likely by early April. The arrangement is presented as private, with the King meeting costs. The Sandringham Estate is owned privately by the monarch, rather than the state, and the Washington Post has reported that the King will fund his brother’s housing from private resources. (itv.com)
The lease on Royal Lodge, granted in 2003, has been placed under parliamentary scrutiny. In correspondence published by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 2 December 2025, the Crown Estate set out that the original terms were a £1m premium and a minimum £7.5m tenant-funded refurbishment, with a peppercorn rent thereafter, and full repairing obligations on the tenant. The 2005 National Audit Office (NAO) report recorded a minimum notional rental value of £260,000 per year used in the valuation. (committees.parliament.uk)
The Crown Estate confirmed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served a Tenant’s Notice offering to surrender the lease on 30 October 2025, giving the minimum 12 months’ notice. On current estimates, extensive end‑of‑tenancy dilapidations mean he is, in all likelihood, not due compensation for early surrender. If no repairs were required and the tenancy ended on 30 October 2026, the hypothetical compensation would have been £488,342.21. A final position will be determined post‑occupation by independent surveyors. (committees.parliament.uk)
The PAC has launched an inquiry, ‘The Crown Estate’, based on the published correspondence and an NAO update to its 2005 review of royal property leases. The committee has also released an unredacted copy of the Royal Lodge lease and letters from the Crown Estate and HM Treasury. The inquiry will examine whether arrangements deliver value for money and comply with statutory duties under the Crown Estate Acts. (committees.parliament.uk)
Thames Valley Police has stated it is assessing information concerning a claim that a woman, then in her 20s and not British, was sent by Jeffrey Epstein to Royal Lodge in 2010, allegedly spending the night there before a tour of Buckingham Palace. Police have not opened a criminal investigation and say the allegation has not been formally reported to the force; Mountbatten‑Windsor has previously denied any wrongdoing. (news.sky.com)
The policing context is unfolding alongside a large document release by the US Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act on 30 January 2026. The DOJ says it has published more than 3 million responsive pages, including videos and images; major outlets note this is part of a wider production approaching 3.5 million pages. (justice.gov)
Among the DOJ material are images widely reported to appear to show Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor on his hands and knees over a woman whose face is obscured. The files also include email exchanges referencing members of the Royal Household. These materials have intensified calls for cooperation with US inquiries; he continues to deny misconduct. (theguardian.com)
For public finance and governance specialists, the key issue is now oversight of Crown Estate leasing practices. The Crown Estate emphasises its independence, its duty to obtain best consideration, and that all net profits are returned to HM Treasury; PAC’s inquiry and the NAO’s supporting work will provide the basis for any recommended reforms. (committees.parliament.uk)