‘I visited Andrew’s ramshackle new home
As Thames Valley Police address newly revealed allegations about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the Mirror’s Julia Banim pays a visit to the relatively modest five bedroom property the former prince will now call home
The road to the Sandringham Estate is undoubtedly eerie, and I can’t help but recall campfire stories of those who’ve wandered too far from the road.
It’s here where Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been relocated to, or rather banished, as the Royal Family seek to move past the shadows of his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The former prince, who has now given up his royal titles for a life as a commoner, has vehemently denied all allegations of wrongdoing connected with the friendship, which has long attracted criticism.
Now, as fresh revelations from the Epstein files continue to drop, King Charles has taken the sort of decisive action that his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, perhaps could never have dreamed of. Booted from his 30-room manor Royal Lodge in the dead of night, Andrew now live at Marsh Farm, a relatively humble residence on the sprawling Sandringham Estate. It’s as close to solitude as possible for one of the most famous families on earth.
The village of Wolferton, some seven miles from pretty King’s Lynn, can hardly be called a village in the way many city dwellers envision the word. This isn’t a place where you’ll find rows of quaint pubs and charming independent shops. Even Wolferton Railway Station, opened in 1862 upon Queen Victoria’s purchase of the Sandringham House site, stands silent and still. No train has passed here since the ’60s, the days of Andrew’s charmed childhood as the apple of his mother’s eye.
READ MORE: Sarah Ferguson’s humiliating last moments in Royal Lodge before she was ‘smuggled out’READ MORE: Andrew’s new neighbours beg for ex-prince to be exiled and fear there’s ‘more to come’
I’m reminded for a moment of a line from the 2021 film Spencer, which focuses on the late Princess Diana’s suffocating Christmas at the Norfolk estate. Played by Kristen Stewart, the character of Diana can be heard telling a young Prince William, “Here, there is only one tense. There is no future. The past and the present are the same thing.”
Needless to say, you likely won’t get a WiFi signal out here. My fellow reporter and I navigate a seemingly endless expanse of green on the satnav, with barely a landmark to punctuate it. We end up going around in a loop, chasing our own tale. It’s enough to spook those used to things running smoothly, even without a fully staffed household to cater to your every whim.
The vast majority of what goes on in Wolferton centres on and around the 20,000-acre estate, where non-royal visitors can enjoy dog-friendly parkland, a cafe and even a children’s play area. Tourists can enjoy local produce and attend special community events, but really, what sells best is the fairytale.
Each Christmas morning, visitors as far-flung as the USA turn up at the grand yet undeniably sleepy estate to catch a glimpse of the Royal family attending service at the 16th-century St Mary Magdalene Church. It’s here where, in the little churchyard away from the camera’s glare, worshippers may see the grave of 13-year-old Prince John, the so-called ‘Lost Prince’, who was kept away from the public eye due to his epilepsy and supposed autism. He died in 1919 at Wood Farm Cottage, where he’d lived apart from his siblings, his privacy fiercely guarded until the end.
It’s at this tragic cottage where Andrew, a ‘lost prince’ of a very different sort, will wait out the renovations at Marsh Farm, the modest grace and favour home he has so reluctantly accepted, as per various reports. But will the presence of a fallen prince with a tarnished reputation spoil the magic so many royal fans seek each Christmastime, or will this add a certain morbid intrigue?
The land here is flat and open, and if it weren’t for the trees that line the roads, it seems as though you could see endlessly into the distance. That there would be nowhere low enough to hide. But at the same time, there’s an intense claustrophobia to the landscape, heightened by the context of the unfolding situation. It should feel peaceful here, and perhaps ordinarily it would, but the air bristles with expectancy, a waiting for something uncertain and disquieting. As King’s Lynn resident Chris Thompson would later tell the Mirror: “I would have thought King Charles is supporting him with his bills, but it’s a bit bleak out there. I don’t think there’ll be a lot there for him to do, really.”
We pull up outside St Peter, Wolferton, which bears a remarkable resemblance to the more famous St Mary Magdalene Church, with its distinctive lych gate. My mind is pulled back to festive broadcasts, members of The Firm smiling at delighted crowds, awestruck at their very presence. This meeting point is just as gravely quiet as at any point on the road, save for a cluster of fellow journalists parked by the roadside.
We chat companionably over the latest goings on, including the posters protesting ‘sweaty’ Andrew, which were swiftly taken down. We’re on alert for new developments, while all too aware that the Windsors likely won’t be dropping candid Instagram stories on the topic. Tractors drive by, as well as the occasional van, one of which appeared to be delivering a bed. But there are no dog walkers, no cyclists. Barely a minute’s drive down the road is Marsh Farm, and although I’d seen photos of it countless times over the past week, the sight of it caught me by surprise.
While a dream house to the vast majority of us, complete with outbuildings, this isn’t the sort of property that stops you in your tracks. It’s large, but not imposing, and certainly not the sort of residence you’d expect for a man born at Buckingham Palace. While guards line the gates of Andrew’s birthplace at all times, all that stands between me and the muddy, molehill puckered lawn is a low wooden fence. It looks like the pleasant, red brick home of a well-to-do middle-class businessman, not the favourite son of Britain’s longest serving monarch.
From our vantage point on the ordinary, puddle-streaked country lane, there is little in the way of privacy – the windows to the front rooms a little more than a stone’s throw away. The garden has a neglected sleepiness about it, and the smell of wet mud takes me aback. I’m not sure what sort of home I’d expect for a former prince stripped of all titles; there is perhaps no precedent set for a scandal of this magnitude. But given the notoriety of the situation and the undeniably heated public response, I expected more of a fortress.
There are, however, telltale signs that preparation for this strange new chapter in royal history is well underway, with the arrival of CCTV cameras and a security system. This will be no easy job, with Andrew’s new abode situated on a flood plain and locals advised to register for alerts in case nearby defences fail to prevent a water surge from a neighbouring bog. On a grey, drizzly day such as this, the path outside is uncomfortably wet, all deep puddles and sludge that requires a sturdy set of wellies, not, as was the error of this journalist, a favourite pair of boots. Perhaps it’s hoped that this will keep nosier members of the community at bay.
Still, it’s understood that serious renovations will be needed before Andrew can move in around April, with a “huge security overhaul” needed to ensure his safety, not to mention the protection of his staff. But it doesn’t appear that the 65-year-old is looking forward to the move. Andrew is said to be “appalled” that his “cramped” new residence has just five bedrooms, with a source recently telling the Daily Mail: “He really didn’t want Marsh Farm… He won’t have lived anywhere that small since he left his apartment at Buckingham Palace.”
This comes as emails released by the US Department of Justice earlier this month appear to show former UK trade envoy Andrew sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore with sex offender Epstein. Anti-monarchy group Republic filed a police report following these allegations, with Thames Valley Police having since confirmed: “We can confirm receipt of this report and are assessing the information in line with our established procedures.”
Earlier this week, Buckingham Palace said the King has made clear his “profound concern” at allegations over Andrew’s conduct and will “stand ready to support” the police if approached over the claims. And Kensington Palace spokesperson issued a statement on behalf of the Prince and Princess of Wales, saying: “I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.” It follows Andrew’s younger brother, Prince Edward, last week, saying that it was important to “remember the victims,” when asked by a reporter about the latest Epstein files drop.
By all accounts, this gloomy new residence certainly paints a bleak picture of Andrew’s new life in relative exile.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected]. Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads
READ MORE: Ghislaine Maxwell refuses to answer questions ensuring Epstein’s secrets stay buried
