Neighbours in Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s new village issue warning | Royal | News

It’s hard to imagine a more remote place than disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s new rural bolthole buried deep in the Norfolk countryside. The shamed former Duke of York is moving to the ramshackle and isolated Marsh Farm, on the Sandringham Estate, after being stripped of his royal titles following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal – with further damaging revelations released on Saturday.

Buried down a desolate single-track road in the tiny village of Wolferton, it’s about as far away from the glitz and glamour the 65-year-old ex-prince is used to at his previous home of Royal Lodge, Windsor. When I visited last week – before Andrew’s latest humiliation of being pictured on all fours – to learn more about his new pad, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. There were barely any signs of life, particularly in the stretch of road outside Marsh Farm, with just one or two people walking about.

While that might be an advantage for someone looking to disappear into obscurity, neighbours believe the eighth in line to the throne will find it a “huge adjustment”.

Philip Sheppard, 61, from nearby Ingoldisthorpe, who comes to Wolferton once a week to walk his dog and knows a few people who live in the area, says: “What he’s going to do around here, I really don’t know.

“He’s going to be a bit bored and isolated, I’d have thought.

“I don’t think it’ll do his health much good. The fact he won’t have Fergie to be a regular support will really have an effect on him.”

There are just 40 to 50 homes in Wolferton, many of which belong to current or former workers on the Sandringham Estate.

There are no shops in the village, with Philip saying that residents hope Andrew won’t venture to Dersingham Co-op three miles away for his groceries.

There is a social club opposite the now-disused Wolferton station, but it is highly unlikely Andrew will have his eyes down for bingo on the first Sunday of every month or take part in games of cribbage or darts on Thursday evenings.

He could join Wolferton Bowls Club between April and September, but is more known for his interest in golf. The nearest club, several miles away, has not said whether it would accept him as a member.

There are no places to eat or get a takeaway in the village, and the nearest Pizza Express – where he famously dined with his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie in Woking – is a 20-minute drive away in King’s Lynn.

Horse riding is another of Andrew’s famous pastimes, but Sandringham councillor Tony Bubb says: “You hardly ever see any horses around here. I can’t remember the last time I saw anybody riding a horse.”

He also suggests that someone with Andrew’s chequered reputation will find it difficult to ingratiate themselves with the neighbours.

“The indigenous locals are fairly hard to get to know,” he explains. “And the ones that move in don’t really know anybody, so they tend to keep themselves to themselves.”

The slow pace of life begs the question: how on earth will an ex-prince used to high-society parties spend his time?

“It’s a different lifestyle from what he’s used to,” says 65-year-old Nancy Rothery. “I imagine he’ll have far less flexibility to live as he did previously.”

Her husband Craig, 60, adds: “We lived in London for 20 years, and we found it an adjustment living in Norfolk, in terms of what you can do and facilities for residents. But it’s a beautiful part of the country.”

The couple believe there are “far worse places” to be banished to, with miles of idyllic walking routes to enjoy and decades of royal history.

Wolferton is nestled next to Dersingham Bog nature reserve, where many people enjoy pcountryside walks.

Sandringham hosts one of the UK’s most picturesque Parkruns on a Saturday morning, although Andrew is not known for being a jogger.

The 65-year-old has spoken about his eclectic taste in music, so could join the crowds for Eric Clapton on the Sandringham Estate on August 23 as part of the Heritage Live series of concerts.

He could go to the Sandringham Game and Country Fair on September 12 and 13, or even the Sandringham Flower Show from July 22 to 26 – although he might want to avoid that because King Charles attends.

Garry Stewart, 72, visiting Sandringham with his wife Mel, 71, and dog Georgie, says: “I don’t think you’ll see him wander about among the crowds. He’ll just keep himself to himself. Whether he’ll be here a long time, I don’t know.”

Natalie, another local resident, thinks “he’ll be lonely”. 

She adds: “If you speak to people, a lot of people are not happy that he’s coming.

“It’s 100 miles from London, where all the contacts he’s got left are and his family.

“It’s a tight little community. I imagine it’s going to have a detrimental effect. 

“He’s going to keep a low profile. Everyone knows his history, and he’s not well received.”

There is one bright spark, though. An organiser of the Sandringham Pleasure Ride, a twice-annual event on the royal estate, suggests he could join in, saying: “Everyone is welcome.”