No title, no feudal estate Andrew faces an uncertain future as a former prince

The member of the royal family is without a title, without his feudal estate and without a good reputation. His life is likely to change fundamentally.

DPA

01.11.2025, 22:22

02.11.2025, 13:19

dpa

Andrew is no longer called Prince and his estate, where he lived virtually rent-free next to Windsor Castle, is also gone. What was left of his public reputation has also disappeared. The commoner, once known as Prince Andrew, is likely to face a new chapter that will involve numerous removal vans - he will have to move to a remote private home owned by his brother, King Charles III.

The King's decision to strip his younger brother of his title to protect the British monarchy and force him to move out of the estate to punish him for his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was unprecedented. For Andrew, life is likely to change fundamentally.

"On a personal level, it must be pretty devastating and the ultimate humiliation for him," said an editor at Majesty Magazine, Joe Little. "We know him to be quite an arrogant personality, but this must be mentally draining on him. It would be very strange if it didn't."

Less living space in future

It is unclear which house the member of the British royal family now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will live in on the Sandringham estate, 160 kilometers north of London. However, it is likely to be smaller than Royal Lodge, the luxury 30-bedroom estate where Andrew has lived until now.

Andrew had to pay just one peppercorn a year in rent for the Royal Lodge, if he was asked to do so. This is a symbolic sum in real estate transactions. The property is 50 acres in size and includes a pool, several cottages and a bird sanctuary. When he was ordered to give up the lease, 65-year-old Andrew offered no resistance.

The grounds of Sandringham, where he will be staying in future, cover an area of 8,000 hectares on the North Sea coast in the east of England. The date of the move has not been publicly announced. However, the move is not expected to take place before Christmas.

Impact on Andrew's family

The ex-prince is not the only one affected by the King's attempts to distance the monarchy from the scandal surrounding Andrew. Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson also has to relocate. She had lived with Andrew in the Royal Lodge.

The ex-couple's two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, retain their titles and the honorary title "Her Royal Highness" because they are granddaughters of the former Queen Elizabeth II.

King helps brother with private finances

Charles uses his private wealth to support Andrew financially. Andrew has not been a working member of the royal family since a disastrous BBC interview in 2019. In the interview, he tried to defend his relationship with Epstein. He was subsequently stripped of his royal duties. Andrew has no known source of income other than a small pension from his previous service in the Royal Navy.

The financial arrangement makes sense, said royal expert George Gross from King's College London. It protects the King from criticism that Andrew is being supported with state funds and at the same time shows that Charles is not abandoning his brother. "It's clearly important that he (Andrew) is looked after in some respects because otherwise he becomes a potential pawn for anyone with negative or bad intentions."

Andrew faces further consequences

Until now, Andrew has been protected by his position as a member of the royal family. But his reduced status and calls for him to be held to account could now have consequences beyond the control of the royal family.

A British parliamentary committee is currently investigating how Andrew was able to afford the upkeep of Royal Lodge and a lavish lifestyle despite having no significant source of income in recent years.

In 2022, Andrew settled a lawsuit by Virginia Roberts Giuffre out of court, which is said to have been worth several million dollars. According to Giuffre, she was forced by Epstein to have sex with Andrew in London at the age of 17. Andrew has repeatedly denied having sexual intercourse with Giuffre or committing a crime.

The family of Giuffre, who has since died, has called for further legal action against Andrew. The police are investigating an allegation that he asked one of his bodyguards to find incriminating material against Giuffre.

Historian Andrew Lownie, author of a biography of Andrew and Ferguson, believes it is possible that the ex-prince is being investigated for allegations such as sex trafficking and misconduct in public office. "I don't think that's it, I think there are many more revelations to come," Lownie told the BBC.

Still part of the British line of succession

Even though Andrew is no longer a prince, he is still number eight in the line of succession to the British throne. In order to exclude him from the line of succession, the British Parliament would have to take action, which is currently unlikely.

Although Andrew could theoretically become king at some point, this is of course "absolutely unrealistic", said Gross.