The Duke of York is expected to decline the offer of Marsh Farm, a run-down property on the Sandringham Estate, as his future living arrangements come under renewed scrutiny. The former royal and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, had agreed to leave Royal Lodge, their 30-room Windsor home, after King Charles stripped Andrew of his titles and royal styles. However, it now appears that Andrew may be looking further afield for a more luxurious residence.
Marsh Farm, described as a collection of "ramshackle" buildings in need of serious renovation, has been offered to Andrew as an alternative home on the King's private Norfolk estate. Royal biographer Robert Jobson told People magazine that Andrew is unlikely to accept, suggesting the Middle East as a probable destination. "The King saw the King of Bahrain the other day. One never knows - it could be a place where Andrew gets the recognition of being the second son of Queen Elizabeth, rather than this," Jobson said. He added: "Other disgraced people have gone to the Middle East. Andrew did a lot of business in Bahrain, and he's still relatively young. I just can't see him being on an isolated farm in Sandringham." Andrew Lownie, who wrote a biography of the couple, echoed this, saying: "He doesn't like the sound of being on the Sandringham estate, I think he wants to go somewhere where he can just get away from everything."
Meanwhile, Sarah Ferguson will not be joining Andrew in any move abroad. She is reportedly seeking a new home of her own, potentially remaining in the Windsor area where she has lived for many years. Her daughters have offered her accommodation: Princess Eugenie has set aside a "grand suite" in her seaside mansion in Portugal, while Princess Beatrice has offered a converted cattle shed on her Cotswolds estate as a "granny annex". A source close to Ferguson described her as a "fighter", someone who has repeatedly reinvented herself after public controversies.
Lownie was less complimentary, telling the Mirror that Ferguson "just plays the victim". He said: "She says, 'Well, I can pick myself up, it's my own fault, I'll be different in the future, that was a different person,' and then she just goes and repeats the mistakes all over again."
Both Andrew and Ferguson are facing renewed scrutiny over their connections to convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell following the release of the Epstein Files. Both were pictured in the document dump during the festive period, though this is not necessarily indicative of wrongdoing.
