Who is actually paying for Andrew’s new home?

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has left his home on the royal estate in Windsor to begin his permanent move to the Sandringham Estate, following the removal of his titles.

The former prince left the 30-room Royal Lodge on Monday, 2 February, and is now living in temporary accommodation on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, according to PA.

The move comes as Andrew’s name is repeatedly mentioned in the latest release of documents linked to late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Formerly the known as the Duke of York, his departure follows a decision announced in October 2025 that he would surrender the lease on the Royal Lodge and relinquish his royal titles and honours.

The palace had announced that Andrew would be moving out of the Grade II-listed Georgian mansion “as soon as possible and practicable”.

Andrew was stripped of his titles by the King last year after the posthumous publication of a book by Virginia Giuffre, who accused the former prince of sexual assault when she was 17 in the 2000s – an allegation he “vigorously” denies.

In 2022, the 65-year-old paid millions of pounds to Giuffre – whom he claims never to have met.

The relocation comes as the US Department of Justice released a tranche of files linked to the disgraced Epstein, which saw him pictured kneeling over an unnamed female at the paedophile’s New York mansion.

Epstein also appeared to introduce Andrew to a woman described by the paedophile as “26, Russian, clevere (sic) beautiful, trustworthy”.

Thames Valley Police have said they are assessing information about an allegation that a woman was sent by Epstein to spend time with Andrew at Royal Lodge in 2010 when she was in her 20s.

At this stage, no formal report has been made to police and no criminal investigation has been launched, and Andrew has previously denied all wrongdoing connected to Epstein. Being named in the files is no indication of wrongdoing.

Who is paying for Andrew to live at Sandringham?

The Sandringham Estate includes 600 acres of gardens, parkland, farmland and woodlands, and sits six miles north of King’s Lynn, close to the shores of the North Sea.

The estate is a private estate owned by King Charles III personally, not by the British state or the Crown Estate (unlike Windsor, which is Crown Estate land).

It was revealed last year that Andrew, who had spent more than two decades at Royal Lodge, had only paid a nominal “peppercorn” rent under a 75-year lease agreement.

His transition to the 20,000-acre Sandringham estate, in Norfolk, is expected to be phased, with a permanent home not yet ready.

The BBC reported that he is expected to move into a property called Marsh Farm by the start of April, but it is not yet fully ready as it is undergoing renovation, including new security measures.

It is understood he will live temporarily at Wood Farm Cottage, which was home to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, after his retirement in 2017.

The King is expected to pay for the costs of his brother’s new home and the costs for his move privately.

According to information published by the Public Accounts Committee in November 2025, Andrew is unlikely to receive any compensation upon leaving Royal Lodge.

As part of his leasing arrangement, from 2003, Andrew could have been entitled to £488,000 after being ordered to leave the mansion within 25 years.

Andrew had paid over £8.5m between 2003 and 2005 to cover renovation costs and an advance on rent, at a “notional rental sum of £260,000”, the committee has confirmed.

But as repairs are needed at the Royal Lodge due to “dilapidations” it means in “all likelihood” Andrew “will not be owed any compensation”, according to the Crown Estate.

An MPs’ inquiry was launched last year into the estate and its royal leases, which is due to be published in June 2026.

Where does King Charles get his money?

King Charles III has a number of different revenue streams that pay for his and the Royal Family’s private lives and their public lives.

The monarch’s official duties are funded by the sovereign grant, which is an annual payment from the UK Treasury to support the official work of the King and the Royal Household.

The amount is set as a percentage of profits from the Crown Estate, which belongs to the state and not the King personally, which sits at 12%.

The grant, which was £132.1m a year in 2025/26, pays for things like royal travel, staff and the upkeep of palaces used for state business.

King Charles does not personally own or keep this money.

The King’s main source of personal income is covered primarily by the Duchy of Lancaster, which is a historic estate of land, farms, commercial property and investments worth in excess of £600m.

The duchy has been under royal control since 1399, and includes rural estates throughout Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, and other counties and commercial properties, including the Savoy Estate in London.

The duchy generated £28.7m between 2024/25 to pay for Charles’s and other working royals private expenses, and he pays income tax on this voluntarily.

The Duchy of Lancaster and the Prince of Wales’ Duchy of Cornwall are independently audited and subject to scrutiny by parliament.

In addition to the above, King Charles also has private wealth, which includes the Sandringham and Balmoral estates, private investments, inheritances and personal wealth

The Sandringham and Balmoral estates generate income through farming, tourism, events and rentals, and that money belongs to the King personally.

King Charles also has private savings, investments, jewels, and other heritage assets, and inherited significant personal wealth from Queen Elizabeth II.

Inheritances passed from monarch to monarch are exempt from inheritance tax, and according to The Sunday Times Rich List, Charles’s personal net worth is around £640m, while other estimates say he could be worth around £2bn.