Ex-Prince Andrew leaves royal mansion ‘in dead of night’ after compromising Epstein photos surface: expert
King Charles III’s disgraced brother was kicked out sooner than expected.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor vacated his 30-room mansion Monday night and is now staying at Wood Farm, a temporary home on the Sandringham estate, the BBC reported. The former prince is expected to move to Marsh Farm, another residence on the same property that is currently undergoing renovations.
Buckingham Palace told the outlet that the former Duke of York was expected to move in "early 2026." However, reports suggest his departure was expedited following the latest release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, which included photos of the 65-year-old on all fours over an unidentified woman lying on her back. The woman is fully clothed in all three photos, and her face has been obscured.
"Prince William has long wanted Andrew as far away from Windsor as absolutely possible," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
"Andrew’s original departure was scheduled to be around Easter, but it was instead brought forward in the dead of night. The ousting is further confirmation of Andrew’s diminished status as a ‘persona non grata.’ There is no coming back for him."
There is mounting pressure for the fallen prince to give evidence to the U.S. over his relationship with the late convicted sex offender. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also called on Andrew to testify before Congress.
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"It is no surprise that Andrew has departed in darkness," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
"His former home, Royal Lodge, is in public view, and timing is critical. King Charles is aware it is highly unlikely the media frenzy will subside, and Andrew could be facing a police investigation. Temporarily, staying at Wood Farm allows scrutiny of Andrew to play out behind closed doors, away from prying eyes."
"King Charles is exasperated with the fallout," Chard claimed. "He’s putting on a brave face."
Andrew appears in three newly released photos from the latest batch of files made public by the Department of Justice in connection with the investigation into Epstein, who died in custody in 2019.
Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing.
Two of the photos, released Jan. 30, show Andrew crouched on the ground with his hand resting on the woman’s stomach as he looks down at her. A third shows him on his knees with his hands on either side of her body while looking directly at the camera.
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Additional context, including where and when the photos were taken, was not provided by the Department of Justice. The newly released files also include email exchanges between Epstein and a contact listed as "The Duke," which is believed to refer to Andrew.
People magazine reported that Thames Valley Police is assessing claims related to events said to have taken place at Royal Lodge in 2010.
"We are aware of reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes," Thames Valley Police told the outlet in a statement. "We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures."
"We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward. At this time, these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either the lawyer or their client."
A lawyer told the BBC on Jan. 31 that his client was allegedly sent to the U.K. by Epstein in 2010 to have sex with Andrew at Royal Lodge when she was in her 20s. The lawyer also claimed his client was later given a tour of Buckingham Palace. She is the first woman to publicly allege an encounter with the late queen’s son at a royal residence, People reported.
The lawyer, Brad Edwards, also represented Virginia Giuffre, an American woman who accused Andrew of sexual abuse when she was 17. Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was forced to have sex with the disgraced duke three times. The case was settled out of court in 2022, with Andrew admitting no wrongdoing.
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The 41-year-old died in 2025. Her posthumous memoir, published in October, reiterated her claims.
"Andrew allegedly had women meeting him at Buckingham Palace regularly," royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
"They were allegedly waved through without checks on Andrew’s order. So, a woman possibly meeting him at Royal Lodge could have potentially been addressed in the same way. According to my sources, there were also regular events promoting businesses at Royal Lodge, so it’s going to be very complicated for the police to differentiate the comings and goings."
There are also newly uncovered emails that include correspondence from Epstein’s confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell. In them, she appeared to discuss the existence of the infamous photograph showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre in London.
"In 2001, I was in London when [redacted] met several friends of mine, including Prince Andrew," read a 2015 statement that appeared to be from Maxwell, the BBC reported.
"A photograph was taken as I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family," read the email, which was signed by "G Maxwell."
According to the outlet, Maxwell said she was not aware of "anything improper" happening at her home.
The outlet reported that the email appears in Epstein’s estate files as a draft statement. Both Andrew and Maxwell said they believed the photo was fake.
Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, told the BBC’s "Newsnight" on Feb. 4, "This is a very vindicating moment for Virginia."
"It truly does vindicate Virginia," he said. "She was not lying this entire time."
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said Andrew has no standing within the royal family, and that is not expected to change.
"He has indeed left Royal Lodge, but his body language when out riding and driving still attracts attention," Fitzwilliams explained. "His departure, which the king could not legally force, was nonetheless the result of public, press and parliamentary outrage as more compromising material involving his links with Epstein had surfaced."
Andrew announced in October that he was giving up his royal titles, and the palace confirmed later that month that the king had "initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew."
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The decision followed Andrew’s initial step back from public life in 2019 after his BBC interview, in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein.
Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s former wife, has also moved out of Royal Lodge. The former Duchess of York, who divorced Andrew in 1996, had continued living with him at the property. She was also mentioned in the latest Epstein files release, but has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
source https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ex-prince-andrew-leaves-royal-mansion-in-dead-night-after-compromising-epstein-photos-surface-expert
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