Andrew’s ‘hermit life’ in Sandringham: Disgraced royal will keep ‘lowest possible profile’ in Norfolk as locals warn ‘horrible man’ is not welcome after his Royal Lodge eviction

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will likely live the ‘life of a hermit’ on King Charles’s Sandringham estate after being stripped of his prince title and banished from Royal Lodge, a royal expert has said. 

Jennie Bond said disgraced Andrew will keep the ‘lowest possible profile’ with it likely he will be shunned by his new neighbours. 

‘I think he will lead a pretty isolated life,’ the former royal correspondent said. 

Although he will be able to roam freely around the 20,000 acre estate in Norfolk, Ms Bond said Andrew will be ‘holed up’. And she called Andrew remaining in line to the throne ‘untenable’ for the Royal Family. 

Norfolk residents are nothing short of furious about ‘horrible’ Andrew’s move to their community, as they declared he is not welcome.

On Thursday, in a clinically cold statement, Buckingham Palace announced Andrew would no longer be known as a prince and is to leave the Royal Lodge on the grounds of Windsor Castle. 

It was previously revealed he had been paying ‘peppercorn rent’ on the Grade II-listed property where he was living with his ex-wife and former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, 66, for over two decades. 

It is understood Andrew has been served notice to surrender the lease at the 30-bedroom mansion and will move out of the residence as soon as practically possible to a property on His Majesty’s private estate in Norfolk. 

While the particulars on where specifically Andrew will be living are unknown, palace sources revealed in a brutal remark that Fergie ‘will make her own arrangements’ when it comes to her future.

As revelations continue about Andrew’s downfall, it has emerged – 

Ms Bond told Sky News that Andrew will be keeping the ‘lowest possible profile’ after his relocation which is likely to be completed by the end of January. 

Andrew will probably ‘live the life of a hermit’ as he begins life in ‘a different cage’ on the Sandringham estate, she said.

Other locals have voiced concerns of the shunned prince’s ‘toxicity’ ruining their quaint slice of Norfolk countryside, maintaining they couldn’t tolerate him either. 

Susan Larkins, a 70-year-old retiree, told The Sun: ‘He’s a horrible man. We don’t want him up here.’ 

And there was very little sympathy for the former Duke of York’s fall from grace as others asserted he ‘deserves everything coming to him’.

Polly Gledstone, 24, added: ‘Charles has taken charge with Andrew, but it’s 20 years too late.’ 

Both Andrew and Fergie, who have been divorced since 1996, have until the end of January to pack up their belongings and be out of the mansion.

And the invaluable artworks gracing the walls of the Royal Lodge will be returned to the Royal Collection Trust. 

‘They do have a lot of stuff to pack up — not least his various collections, including his beloved teddy bears,’ a source said. 

The insider also claimed Fergie, who has also been embroiled in the growing Jeffrey Epstein scandal in recent weeks, has accommodation sorted after selling a property in Belgravia. 

It was previously reported that the disgraced duo were said to be eyeing up Frogmore Cottage – once home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – and Adelaide Cottage, currently the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family.

But a decision on the Royal Lodge was made on Thursday amid growing controversy surrounding Andrew’s relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, with whom Andrew lied about cutting ties with. 

It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed Andrew told Epstein in an email ‘we are in this together’ a day after the infamous picture of the former prince with his alleged then-teenage sex victim Virginia Giuffre was published.

In the wake of the fallout, Ms Giuffre’s family said she was ‘an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family’, who had ‘brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.’

And new emails from unsealed court documents from a legal battle between the US Virgin Islands and JP Morgan show the former prince told Epstein it would be ‘good to catch up in person’ months after the child sex offender was released.

Andrew has continued to deny the allegations made against him as well as ever meeting Ms Giuffre, who made damning revelations about Mr Mountbatten Windsor in a posthumous memoir. She took her own life earlier this year, aged 41. 

In 2022, Andrew settled a US civil case she lodged for a reported £12million, reportedly receiving money from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to help meet the costs. The settlement came with no admission of liability.

It comes as trade minister Sir Chris Bryant described now as ‘an ordinary member of the public’ while suggesting he should go to the US to answer questions about Epstein’s crimes. 

Annie Farmer, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s earliest accusers who testified in the trial that resulted in the conviction of his long-time aide Ghislaine Maxwell, told the BBC: ‘Virginia did what most thought impossible. She showed the world that even the most powerful predators can be held accountable.’ 

In the wake of the Giuffre scandal, Andrew is facing a private prosecution over allegations of sexual assault, corruption and misconduct in public office.

Yesterday, anti–monarchy campaign group Republic said it has instructed lawyers to investigate the prince and, if appropriate, press ahead with legal proceedings.

The Daily Mail understands the allegations it is focusing on relate to accusations he sexually assaulted Giuffre, that he asked a royal protection officer to look into her background and impropriety when he served as an official UK trade envoy.

But anti-monarchy group Republic said it is mounting its own bid to take him to court because the legal and political response to the claims has been ‘weak and inadequate’ to date.

It said it has made a ‘powerful, principled argument for justice to be done for the victims of sexual abuse, and for those who corrupt public office to be held accountable’.

‘If not us, then who?’ asked Graham Smith, the group’s CEO.

‘It’s a devastating indictment on the UK’s criminal justice system, police and politicians – not to mention the king and heir – that we must resort to a private prosecution.

‘It should be a cause for concern that so many people believe – rightly in my view – that the royals are not treated equally in law. Equality in law is a basic tenet of democracy.

‘I firmly believe there is strong enough evidence to justify a serious investigation. The authorities and politicians appear to want to look the other way, while minimising the accusations made against Andrew.

‘The truth must prevail and justice must be seen to be done.’

Last night the group tweeted that Andrew’s punishment was ‘nowhere near enough’, adding: ‘He’s lost a bunch of pointless titles and been relocated to another mansion. Dodging any actual punishment, as always.

‘He will never be an “ordinary person” – ordinary people don’t get away with being accused of sexual abuse.’

A private prosecution brought by Republic would not involve a statutory prosecutor such as Crown Prosecution Service, which brings cases on behalf of the Crown.

They are commonly brought by organisations such as the RSPCA, but can be brought by private individuals.

In some cases, a party wishing to bring a private prosecution may have to seek the consent of the Government’s top legal adviser the Attorney General, or the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is the head of the CPS.

The CPS also has the right to take on a private prosecution – and even to bring it to an end if it considers the prosecution to be brought maliciously.

Yesterday royal historian and author Andrew Lownie said he believed the recent fallout doesn’t mark ‘the end’ of controversy for the shunned royal, now formally known as Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

‘I don’t think it’s the end of it. I think there are many more disclosures to come, but at least they’re taking some decisive action. So, I don’t think it’s all over for him,’ he told The Mirror.

When queried if he believed a police probe into Andrew was more likely following yesterday’s announcement, he remarked that the ex-duke was being ‘throw[n] under the bus’.

‘Yes, I’ve been saying for some time they’re [the Royal family] going to throw Andrew under the bus to save themselves and this is the first indication of that,’ he added

‘This should have been done years ago. I think it’s been Virginia Giuffre’s book that kind of made the Palace realise that there is a big problem here.’

It is understood earlier this month the Metropolitan Police was ‘actively’ looking into the claims Andrew had asked his personal protection officer to investigate Ms Giuffre, and that he was interviewed by detectives at home last week. 

A bombshell email published by The Mail on Sunday earlier this month also revealed how Andrew asked his taxpayer–funded protection officer to dig into her past, two months after the infamous photo of him with Giuffre and Maxwell came to light.

In an extraordinary message to Ed Perkins, Queen Elizabeth’s deputy press secretary, he wrote: ‘It would also seem she has a criminal record in the States. I have given her DoB [date of birth] and social security number for investigation with XXX, the on duty ppo [personal protection officer].’

It comes as e-mails from Andrew to Epstein emerged, where the former duke said he was ‘concerned’ about the impact this newspaper’s revelations would have on his friend after the infamous picture of the royal with Ms Giuffre was released.

He reassured the vile billionaire they would ‘rise above’ press scrutiny.

The correspondence was sent to Epstein 12 weeks after Andrew had supposedly ceased all contact with the convicted sex offender.

The leaked email provides definitive proof the Prince lied in his car-crash interview with BBC’s Newsnight when he claimed he ‘never had any contact’ with the disgraced financier after the pair were famously pictured walking together in New York’s Central Park in December 2010.

Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who has previously called for Prince Andrew to testify before a US Congressional committee about his links to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to ‘clear his name’, last night again urged Andrew to give evidence.

In a statement, he said: ‘It’s clear that Prince Andrew has information about Epstein’s crimes and he must do more than just give up titles or hide from the public spotlight.

‘He owes it to the victims to share everything he knows about Epstein’s criminal operation and come before the Oversight Committee.

‘Regardless, we will continue to pursue the files and all the evidence, no matter how rich and powerful the perpetrators involved.’

The series of scandalous emails piled on the pressure for the Royal Family to sever ties with the ex-Yorks, with internal talks beginning after Prince William was left ‘seething’ by his uncle’s behaviour at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral last month

Andrew was pictured sidling up to the Prince and Princess of Wales, which the heir to the throne saw as him being distracted from the ceremony.