Andrew Windsor is weighing whether to leave the United Kingdom and quietly resettle in a fortified $13 million villa in Abu Dhabi, according to individuals familiar with the discussions, as legal inquiries in the United States intensify and pressure grows inside Britain for the former senior royal to cooperate with investigators examining Jeffrey Epstein's network. The development comes after King Charles stripped his brother of all remaining royal titles, completing the most decisive break yet between the monarchy and the disgraced former Duke.
The potential move, described by one source as "virtually the only true escape option," involves a six-bedroom palace within the Sea Palace compound, a highly secured enclave owned by the UAE's royal family. The residence was reportedly offered to Andrew by President Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a longtime acquaintance from their years at Gordonstoun. The property includes a home cinema, indoor plunge pool, gym facilities and gold-trimmed interiors serviced by a private staff.
Andrew's advisers view the UAE as the rare location where the former royal could live without the relentless media pressure that has followed him in Britain since the exposure of his friendship with Epstein, the convicted sex offender. "Andrew thinks of it as the one place where he can slip away from all the noise," one source familiar with the discussions said. Another said the environment would be particularly appealing because "he'd be content living somewhere with tightly controlled media, where he'd still be regarded as a senior royal."
Pressure on Andrew has escalated sharply following calls from senior members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, who accuse him of withholding information about Epstein's activities. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signaled support for Andrew providing evidence, stating his general view that "anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kinds of cases should give that evidence to those that need it," while noting that the ultimate decision rests with Andrew.
The scrutiny coincides with King Charles's final rupture with his brother. The King's decision to remove Andrew's titles included a public statement expressing "thoughts and utmost sympathies" for "the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse." A friend of the King and Queen Camilla said the monarch had "lost patience," adding that Charles had "grown totally sick of him heaping shame on the monarchy."
The looming release of U.S. Justice Department records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act is also driving internal discussions. President Trump signed the act requiring public disclosure on or around December 19, a development insiders believe will increase pressure on Andrew to consider departure. RadarOnline.com has reported that the forthcoming document release is expected to "pile even more pressure on Andrew to flee Britain for the Middle East."
Compounding the strain is the unresolved public fallout from accusations made by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged Andrew abused her at age 17. Giuffre died by suicide this year at 41, though her past statements remain central to the worldwide scrutiny the former royal continues to face.
Andrew's expected loss of his honorary vice-admiral rank adds another layer of personal humiliation. His potential new home in Abu Dhabi sits adjacent to the Emirati Navy headquarters, highlighting a symbolic conflict between a military title he is set to lose and a location tied to the naval leadership of the UAE.
For allies urging him to consider relocation, the choice is framed less as exile and more as a bid for survival. "People close to him feel he may need some distance, and that he might need it soon," one insider said, reflecting a view that continued residence in Britain has grown untenable amid political, legal and royal pressure.
