Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson, are understood to have agreed to leave Royal Lodge- but only if they each receive new homes in return.
The pair, who have lived together in the sprawling 30-room Windsor mansion for more than 20 years, have reportedly been told to vacate amid the ongoing fallout from their links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes just a week after a series of newly unearthed Epstein emails and the release of the late Virginia Giuffre’s explosive memoir forced the 65-year-old Duke to relinquish his York title.
Sources claim Andrew will agree to move out only if he’s given Frogmore Cottage- the former UK home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle- while Ferguson, 66, is said to want Adelaide Cottage once the Prince and Princess of Wales relocate to nearby Forest Lodge next month.
“Andy is willing to leave, but these are his demands,” a friend of the Yorks told The Sun.
“He is realistic and knows the writing is on the wall and that his time at Royal Lodge is up. If he must go then he has asked for Frogmore Cottage.”
The insider added: “Incredibly Sarah has said she wants Adelaide Cottage.”
Despite divorcing in 1997, Andrew and Ferguson, parents to Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, are said to behave “like they are still a married couple.”
According to the source, their apparent willingness to now part ways suggests the duo have been under “immense strain” in recent months.
It’s unclear how King Charles III and other senior royals have received the proposal, though reports suggest negotiations continue over “how much rent” the pair would be charged.
The 76-year-old monarch has long wanted his brother out of Royal Lodge, despite the “iron-clad” lease Queen Elizabeth II granted Andrew in 2003.
While Charles allowed him to remain at the property provided he covered maintenance and security costs, The Times recently revealed that Andrew has not paid rent for two decades.
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie believes a voluntary exit would spare the disgraced Duke further public humiliation.
“The only way I think he can go is to voluntarily go,” Mr Lownie told Hello! magazine’s Right Royal podcast.
“The optics look terrible for a non-working royal in a 30-room mansion.”
Lownie has also suggested Andrew could consider relocating abroad to escape mounting legal pressure, possibly to Switzerland, where he once owned property, or even the United Arab Emirates.
Fergie might also choose to follow him overseas to sidestep the glare of public scrutiny.
According to the royal author and historian, the ruling family of Abu Dhabi has even “quietly prepared” a palace for Andrew should he decide to move there permanently.
Andrew was first offered Frogmore in early 2023 after Harry and Meghan were evicted, but turned it down at the time.
However, a former courtier told royal reporter Tom Sykes over the weekend that a move is already in motion.
“He is moving. It’s just a matter of getting the choreography right now,” the source said.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.skynews.com.au ’
