The dispute between the brothers has been simmering for months, but King Charles’ decision was seen as a massive escalation of pressure. Former BBC royal affairs correspondent Michael Cole described the axing of the Duke’s security detail as a “radical step” and said: UK News: “The King cannot legally expel him from the country, but he is expressing his feelings by withdrawing his security. Prince Andrew will be very, very unhappy about this.”
This has led to speculation about where the beleaguered Duke of York might move to – if anywhere. The royal reportedly wants his brother to downsize and spend his days away from the public eye at Frogmore Cottage. The Windsor home, which housed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before their move to California, is considerably more modest than the vast Royal Lodge, but has undergone a major £2.4 million renovation by the Sussexes. The couple have been “asked to vacate the house in 2023” following the publication of Prince Harry’s sensational memoir. Spare part.
However, Prince Andrew is said to have turned down the offer to live at Frogmore, as he viewed the move as a “demotion”. He certainly knows the cottage, as he no doubt visited his daughter Princess Eugenie when she lived there with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their son August in 2020. The family has since moved out and Frogmore Cottage is empty.
The prince could also be asked to consider a move to Wood Farm, a low-key five-bedroom property on the Sandringham Estate that was once the home of the late Prince Phillip after he retired from public duties in 2017. The red-brick house is in keeping with King Charles’s wish that Prince Andrew stay far away from the public eye in his new residence – the reason the king is unlikely to offer Andrew an apartment at St James’ Palace in London, where Princess Beatrice often stays. The York family are known to like Wood Farm and have reportedly spent the last two Christmases there.
