Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will have one last Christmas at his Royal Lodge in Windsor before he moves out of the Grade II house, according to reports.
The former prince and Duke of York will not be travelling to Sandringham to spend the festive period with the Royal Family.
Buckingham Palace said the move would only take place “as soon as practicable” when King Charle’s decision to strip his brother of his remaining titles was announced.
It has now been confirmed that this will not happen this side of Christmas and Andrew will not complete his move until some time in 2026, as revealed by the Daily Mail.
Sources told the newspaper about the “practicalities” of packing up his belongings and moving were “quite a substantial logistical process, if nothing else”.
He also needs to negotiate the conclusion of his 75-year lease on the property from the Crown Estate early.
The news will take Andrew out of the picture when the Royal Family meet in Norfolk on Christmas Eve, when senior royals walk with His Majesty to church on Christmas morning.
A source said the situation could have proved “quite awkward”.
The former duke needs to negotiate the conclusion of his 75-year lease at Royal Lodge
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REUTERSThey said: “He won’t be anywhere near the Big House [the nickname given to the King’s home at Sandringham]”.
Royal Lodge was leased from the Crown Estate, with the profits returned to the Government for public spending.
The Palace will not reveal the location of Andrew’s new home for security reasons.
The news follows Prince Edward only paying a peppercorn rent for the 51-acre Bagshot Park in Surrey.
A source told the Mail that Andrew ‘won’t be anywhere near the Big House’
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GETTYCrown Estate documents show that the Duke of Edinburgh pays merely token rent for Bagshot Park, his 51-acre residence near Bracknell, following a £5million advance payment in 2007.
The revelation has sparked criticism that the property represents a taxpayer-funded subsidy for rhe King’s younger brother, as the Crown Estate’s revenues ordinarily flow to the public purse.
Campaigners claim the Bagshot Park estate could generate significant income if leased commercially, questioning why the 15th-in-line to the throne benefits from such favourable terms for the property he has occupied for a quarter-century.
Prince Edward’s 2007 agreement, carried out through his company, Eclipse Nominees Limited, secured a 150-year lease of the Grade II listed property.
The Duke of Edinburgh has only paid a peppercorn rent
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GETTY
The arrangement permits the duke to possibly profit from selling the lease, provided that any future occupant demonstrates financial capacity to maintain the mansion.
This contrasts specifically with Andrew’s lease, which restricts who can inherit Royal Lodge to just Sarah Ferguson and their daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice.
Edward’s lease contains no such familial limitations for his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and their children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.
Despite the criticism, the Duke of Edinburgh regularly undertakes domestic and overseas engagements as a senior working royal.