Removals Van Spotted at Royal Lodge as Disgraced Andrew 'Booted Out Early'
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, has reportedly been forced to leave his Windsor home at Royal Lodge earlier than originally planned, with a removals van seen entering the property this morning. The disgraced royal is said to have departed under cover of darkness to begin his new life at the King's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, following fresh shocking allegations emerging from the latest batch of Epstein files.
Sudden Departure Under Cover of Darkness
According to sources close to the former prince, Andrew had intended to remain at Royal Lodge for a little longer, but mounting pressure from the Royal Household over new revelations in the Epstein documents prompted an accelerated exit. "He had planned to cling on at Royal Lodge a little longer but with the latest batch of Epstein files it was made clear to him that it was time to go," a friend of Andrew told The Sun. "Leaving was so humiliating for him that he chose to do it under the cover of darkness."
The friend added that Andrew "didn't want to have a big emotional goodbye even though Royal Lodge is a place where he had so many family memories." Despite still holding the lease for the Windsor property until October, the former duke has made the substantive part of his move to his new Norfolk home, though the process may take several weeks to complete.
New Home at Marsh Farm Not Yet Ready
While Andrew's permanent new residence at Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate is not yet fully prepared for occupancy, he is expected to move in by the beginning of April. In the interim period, he is believed to be living temporarily at Wood Farm Cottage. Theoretically, he could have remained at Royal Lodge until Marsh Farm was ready, but the deteriorating headlines and growing concerns within the Royal Household appear to have forced his hand.
A source noted that Andrew's recent behaviour hasn't helped his situation: "The fact he's been seen driving around Windsor laughing and looking like he hasn't a care in the world hasn't gone down well with the Royal Household."
Police Assessing New Allegations
The accelerated move comes as Thames Valley Police confirmed they are assessing allegations that a woman was sent to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for a sexual encounter with Andrew in 2010. Lawyers representing the woman have urged the King to contact them following claims their client was sent to Britain specifically for this purpose.
Brad Edwards from US law firm Edwards Henderson previously told the BBC his client had spent the night with Andrew after being given a tour of Buckingham Palace. In a statement, a Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: "We are aware of reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes. We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures."
The spokesperson added: "We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward. At this time, these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either the lawyer or their client."
Epstein Documents Reveal Disturbing Details
Andrew features prominently in the latest batch of Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice on Friday, which include:
- Images apparently showing Andrew crouched over an unidentified woman in what appears to be Epstein's New York mansion
- Email exchanges between Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and Epstein
- Andrew appearing to invite Epstein to Buckingham Palace
- Sarah Ferguson apparently telling Epstein: "I am at your service. Just marry me"
- Epstein introducing Andrew to a woman described as "26, Russian, clevere (sic) beautiful, trustworthy"
- Andrew telling Epstein in the same month: "Wish I was still a pet in your family"
These revelations follow Andrew's 2022 settlement where he paid millions of pounds to his main accuser, Virginia Giuffre - a woman he claims never to have met. The former duke was stripped of his royal titles by the King last year following the posthumous publication of a book from Ms Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell when she was 17 years old.
Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the various allegations made against him. The latest developments and his accelerated departure from Royal Lodge represent another significant chapter in the ongoing controversy surrounding the former prince's associations with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
