Ex-Prince Andrew, brother to King Charles III, was arrested on Thursday, February 19 (his 66th birthday), for misconduct in public office. The arrest comes just a few months after the disgraced royal, now known officially as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was stripped of his royal titles and given notice of his eviction from Royal Lodge, his longtime residence near Windsor Castle. It marks a culmination of over a decade of scandal related to his connection to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The arrest was made on suspicion that Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential information to Epstein in 2010, and comes after the release of correspondences between the men in the most recent collection of the Epstein files from the Department of Justice.
Since leaving Royal Lodge earlier this month, the former prince has been staying at Charles’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Amid his arrest, the police began conducting searches of both the Royal Lodge and Mountbatten-Windsor’s residence at Sandringham, Wood Farm. Hours after his arrest, the former prince was released under investigation. Where will he reside while the police conclude their inquiry? And who is footing the rent bill? Below, we explain.
Where does Prince Andrew live?
Mountbatten-Windsor’s current residence is at Wood Farm on Charles’s Sandringham Estate. In October 2025, the king’s brother was stripped of his remaining royal titles and given notice that he would be kicked out of his longtime residence near Windsor castle, following the posthumous release of Nobody’s Girl, a memoir by Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, who accused Mountbatten-Windsor of sexual abuse. On February 2, he officially relocated to Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate. For now, it seems he will continue to reside here.
What is the history of Sandringham Castle?
Sandringham, which dates back to at least 1086, has been privately owned by the royal family since 1862, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria for King Edward VII. Since then, it has passed from monarch to monarch; King Charles acquired it upon Queen Elizabeth II’s 2022 death.
Where is Sandringham Castle?
Located in Norfolk, Sandrinham is a 20,000-acre estate about 110 miles north of London.
Are taxpayers covering Prince Andrew’s housing costs?
No. Sandringham is privately owned and not an official royal residence. King Charles is footing the bill and giving the ex-prince an annual stipend from his own private funds.
What is Wood Farm like?
Wood Farm is a five-bedroom cottage tucked in a secluded corner of Sandringham overlooking the sea. Over the years, it has served as both a guesthouse and a royal retreat. Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, once described it as a “comfortable open beamed cottage two miles from [Sandringham House].” In 2017, Prince Philip renovated the kitchen inside the property, where he spent his retirement.
Where did Prince Andrew live before?
Before his eviction, Mountbatten-Windsor lived at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. The property dates back to 1662, but the original farmhouse was demolished and rebuilt in 1830 as a grand 30-room Georgian-style estate. Its 98-acre grounds also host a swimming pool, a chapel, and several cottages. The Royal Lodge interior features seven bedrooms, a saloon, and a spacious drawing room. Queen Elizabeth II resided at the home for much of her childhood, and it is still the site of her gigantic playhouse, Y Bwthyn Bach.
Who paid for that residence?
In 2003, the ex-Prince Andrew paid about $1.3 million and signed a 75-year lease to the Royal Lodge with the Crown Estate, the collection of properties that are not technically owned by either the royal family or the government. Instead, the Crown Estate serves as an independent business that generates money for the national Treasury. Mountbatten-Windsor also paid around $10 million in renovations and about $3 million upkeep to the Royal Lodge. He did not pay rent on the residence after that—and thus has not been contributing its revenue to the Treasury.
