Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, lived a life of luxury at the sprawling 30-bedroom, at least £30million Royal Lodge in Windsor for over 20 years before their eviction in February. However, the former Duke of York did not have free rein over the Grade II listed 98-acre site – he had a strict set of rules he had to follow.
Andrew leased the home from the Crown Estate, with the arrangement involving a £1million one-off payment. Under the terms of this contract, Andrew’s home improvements were bound by the understanding that “the character of the property be maintained as a Royal Park and forest,” according to a 2005 report. The contract also required Andrew to be responsible for the refurbishment costs to restore and maintain the historical building.
A detailed report on the lease cited the investment by Andrew as being £5million initially and £7.2million in the following two years after moving in.
Due to the building’s Grade II-listed status, Andrew and Sarah had to obtain permission to alter any part of the building, ensuring the changes were sympathetic to the home’s history.
After the pair were evicted from Royal Lodge in February, following the removal of Andrew’s royal titles over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the property has reverted to the Crown Estate. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew now lives at Marsh Farm in Sandringham, having temporarily lived at Wood Farm while renovations to the house were underway.
Royal Lodge is situated on 98 acres (40 hectares) of secluded grounds in Windsor Great Park. The 30-room Georgian mansion, a Grade II-listed property, has been a royal residence since the 1930s and features extensive gardens, six cottages, a gardener’s cottage and a chapel. Both of Andrew and Sarah’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, celebrated their wedding receptions at the mansion.
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