Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, younger brother of King Charles III, has moved out of his mansion on the Windsor royal estate, a royal source confirmed on Wednesday (4), following damaging new revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, an American tycoon involved in sex crimes.
His departure from Royal Lodge, his home for decades, marks a new low for the former prince after years of speculation about his connections to Epstein, a scandal that has cast a shadow over the British royal family.
Andrew, 65, had hoped to stay in the 30-room Georgian mansion for longer, according to The Sun newspaper, but he secretly moved out on Monday (2) and was taken to a country house in Sandringham, the king’s estate in Norfolk, in eastern England.
Andrew, who in recent days was photographed horse riding in Windsor, west of London, has always denied any involvement with Epstein.
But in light of more from the US Department of Justice, Thames Valley Police said on Tuesday that they are looking into a new charge against him.
The former prince’s move to Norfolk was confirmed by a royal source, who said Andrew may occasionally return to Windsor in the coming weeks while a transition phase is completed.
“With the latest batch of documents on Epstein, it was clear to him that it was time to leave,” an unnamed friend told The Sun newspaper. “The departure was so humiliating for him that he chose to do it in secret.”
The second son of the late Queen Elizabeth was removed from public life when he was forced to step down from all his official royal duties in 2019.
Three years later, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse when she was a teenager. Although he has always denied the accusation, the case resurfaced last year with the release of his posthumous memoirs.
New releases of Epstein’s files in the US last year forced Charles to act and, seeking a definitive break with the monarchy, in October he stripped Prince Andrew of his title and announced that he would be removed from the British Royal Residence, in one of the most drastic measures against a member of the royal family in modern UK history.
The king stated that his solidarity was with the victims of abuse.
Police investigate new files on the Epstein case
Amid the fallout from the release of the latest batch of millions of Epstein-related files, British police on Tuesday also launched an investigation into Peter Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to the US, for alleged misconduct in public office following allegations that he leaked confidential market information to Epstein.
The files included emails that suggested Mountbatten-Windsor was in regular contact with Epstein for more than two years after the financier’s conviction for sex crimes against minors.
He had previously denied having ties to the financier following Epstein’s 2008 conviction, with the exception of a visit to New York in 2010 to end the relationship.
British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, stated on Saturday (31) that he would face a committee of the American Congress, following the new revelations.
