Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has reportedly been secretly whisked away from his home, Royal Lodge, in the middle of the night. According to royal sources, the former prince drove to a secluded location in Norfolk, England, due to his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
"It was a hasty move and carried out in complete secrecy, forcing Royal Lodge staff to pack up what few of Andrew's belongings remained," a source told the Daily Mail on Saturday.
The decision, according to another source, was made by Prince William and King Charles, after an urgent discussion they had. The scandal in which his name is involved has forced his brother and nephew to make immediate decisions. According to sources, even though his residence is now temporary, he is expected to move even further away from the royal family.
The BBC reported earlier this week that the former prince was seen riding a horse near the Royal Lodge in Windsor on Monday and was photographed waving to passersby as he drove away from Windsor Castle. According to a source who told the Daily Mail, the former prince's mental state is not good at all and his stay at the palace would not be well received by the public, as he was continuing to enjoy royal privileges.
In October last year, King Charles took the extraordinary step of stripping his brother, Andrew, of his royal titles of “Duke of York” and “prince.” According to a statement released at the time, the measures were deemed necessary, despite the former prince’s denials of the allegations.
Last week, the US Department of Justice released over 3 million documents related to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, aged 66.
The documents include a photo of Andrew leaning over an unidentified woman, an email that appears to confirm the authenticity of a 2001 photo of Andrew with Virginia Giuffre, then 17, as well as an email with inappropriate comments from his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, about their daughter Eugenie, who was 19 at the time.
Thames Valley Police are investigating allegations of a 2010 incident at Mountbatten-Windsor's former residence, although the former prince continues to deny anything.
