Andrew to Potentially Be ‘Homeless’ if He Doesn’t Follow Charles’ Eviction Notice—He’s Being ‘Deliberately Provocative’
When the former Prince Andrew was stripped of his titles and ordered to vacate his home at Royal Lodge, it felt like that was the British royal family trying to put some separation between Andrew’s scandals and themselves. But even though Andrew Mountbouten Windsor was forced to forego his titles right away, he has yet to leave Royal Lodge. Which means that, whatever the intent might have been, he is still pretty much in the spotlight in a way that doesn’t really reflect well on King Charles or the rest of the family.
Now the Daily Mail‘s royal editor, Rebecca English, is saying that with the “deadline to evict” Andrew from Royal Lodge coming up, things might not be as simple as they look. “Stripping his brother of his birthright as well as his dukedom came as a huge surprise to some who doubted Charles had the stomach for it,” English said. However, she noted his demotion has been generally well-received.
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That doesn’t mean getting him out will be easy. “I am told the plan is that Andrew will be ‘out’ of Royal Lodge by Easter, when the Royal Family traditionally gather on the Windsor estate, helpfully avoiding another potentially tricky encounter,” English explained. “Whether he has a home to move into is another question.”
From the beginning, it has been reported that Andrew is moving to Sandringham, where he will be away from prying eyes. According to English, Marsh Farm, located in Sandringham, “was recently mooted” as a possible new home for Andrew. However, “[I]t is considered ‘quite small’ and needs a ‘lot of work done on it’ to make it habitable and secure.”
“This has raised questions over whether this work can be completed by the deadline,” English also said. And that raises, for English, “the extraordinary prospect that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who remains eighth in line to the throne, could actually find himself homeless for a short period of time next spring.”
The Mail on Sunday had previously reported he would be moving to a “temporary” Sandringham property the size of a “shoebox” while his new home was ready. Rob Shuter’s ShuterScoop had also previously reported that Andrew had conditions about his new home, including “a cook, a gardener, a housekeeper, a driver,” as well as police protection.
But where Andrew lives doesn’t seem to be the only issue, according to English. “There is also frustration that Andrew seems determined not to keep his head down despite his disgrace—choosing to start riding again where photographers are inevitably waiting and even going out in his car on Christmas Day,” English explained.
A source even said, “It’s difficult to know if he is being deliberately provocative, utterly pig-headed or just plain stupid…it could be any one of the three.” The source added, “But he seems unable to keep his head down. He really is a man with a habit of making terribly bad decisions.”
When will it be enough for the British royal family? We will have to wait and see.
