In the event that King Charles finally forces Prince Andrew out of the Royal Lodge, it is possible that he will end up living in a solitary farmstead.
The disgraced Duke of York and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, are currently residing at the Windsor mansion, which contains thirty rooms. However, the Duke of York has been engaged in a protracted conflict with his older brother for custody of his residence.
It has been stated that it has been more than a year since King Charles has requested that Andrew vacate the thirty million pound property, yet the duke appears to be unmoved by the request.
At the beginning of this year, it was claimed that King Charles would decide to restrict funds from his contentious brother, Prince Andrew. This could result in Prince Andrew having a difficult time covering the expenses associated with the costly maintenance of the Grade II-listed lodge, which is in constant disrepair.
Instead, it is thought that the duke has been offered Frogmore Cottage, which was the previous residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the United Kingdom. It is said that the duke declined the offer, and as a result, there is a great deal of conjecture regarding the other possible destinations for him.
An expert in public relations named Ronn Torossian, who is also the founder and chairman of 5WPR, stated to Express UK that the private Wood Farm home in Sandringham, which was once a place of residence for the late Queen Elizabeth II, provides an excellent alternative.
Although Ronn asserted that the Duke "adamantly turned down" Frogmore Cottage, he stated that the Duke's "financial woes" mean that he will not be "renting or buying a high-end private building or home anywhere in London."
"A seemingly more appropriate place would likely be Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate, given its isolation and would definitely help keep Andrew away from the public eye,” Ronn stated.
Approximately two miles distant from the main house, the cottage with five bedrooms is nestled away in a private section of the royal estate in Norfolk which is located in Norfolk. Although it is believed that Wood Farm was already one of the structures on the grounds when the Royal Family initially purchased the Sandringham Estate in the year 1862, it is not known for certain.
In 1910, it was made into the residence of Prince John, the son of George V and Queen Mary. Prince John, who suffered from epilepsy, resided there with his nanny. His passing in 1919 resulted in the property being rented out.
Prince Philip reportedly took an interest in the cottage in the 1960s and launched a significant makeover of it, which included adorning the walls with his artwork. This information comes from Vanity Fair. He mentioned that it would be able to provide accommodations for the royal family and their visitors for short weekend visits, eliminating the need for them to stay at the large house, which must be maintained at a high cost.
During the later years of his life, Prince Philip resided at Wood Farm, while the Queen remained at Buckingham Palace. This occurred when Philip retired from making public appearances. On the other hand, she would make it a habit to visit him whenever she did not have any other obligations. Despite the fact that the couple had a small team of employees working at the Farm, they did not wear uniforms because Philip did not enjoy the formality of the situation.
"I used to love it there. It's so small you get to interact with them every day, rattle pans and play with the corgis! And when The Queen looks into the kitchen after a busy week and says 'Thank you', you can't get a bigger compliment than that,” former royal chef Darren McGrady once wrote on Twitter.
However, the late Queen and her late husband were not the only people who stayed at Wood Farm; Prince William and Princess Kate also have a special place in their hearts for the property. During her visits to the estate prior to her marriage to Prince William in 2011, Princess Kate would stay at the cottage. Additionally, it is reported that Princess Diana stayed there in the early 1980s, prior to her engagement to King Charles, before the two of them became engaged.
According to reports, Prince Andrew and Fergie stayed at Wood Farm for their Christmas holiday at Sandringham in 2023. This would not be the first time that the couple has dwelt at Wood Farm.
In addition, Fergie was compelled to remain there following the conclusion of her marriage to Prince Andrew. Despite the fact that she was not permitted to join the Christmas celebrations that were held at the main home, she desired to remain in close proximity to her daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
