Sarah Ferguson needs a new residence now that her former spouse, Prince Andrew, will be vacating Royal Lodge.
Buckingham Palace made it known on Thursday, October 30, that King Charles III initiated the steps to take away Andrew’s “style, titles and honors” as a result of his link to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. As part of this action, Andrew will reportedly leave Royal Lodge, in spite of having a 75-year “peppercorn lease” on the Windsor Home Park property.
“Prince Andrew will now be called Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, up until now, provided him with legal protection to remain living there,” a statement shared with Us Weekly said. “Formal notice has now been delivered to give up the lease, and he will relocate to other private accommodations. These rebukes are considered essential, even though he continues to refute the accusations against him.”
This punishing royal action means that Ferguson will also be required to leave Royal Lodge, where she’s resided since 2008 despite her divorce from Andrew.
Keep reading for more on Ferguson’s supposed involvement in the Epstein scandal and where she might go to next.
Why Does Sarah Ferguson Reside at Royal Lodge?
Ferguson’s choice to move back in with her ex-husband at Royal Lodge 12 years after their contentious breakup raised eyebrows. Ferguson has always been secretive regarding the specific nature of her current relationship with Andrew, other than stating that they successfully coparented their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, even with their 1996 divorce.
She revealed to Glamour in March 2023 that she “married a very good man,” even though she was hesitant to discuss his friendship with Epstein. (Andrew confirmed in a 2019 Newsnight interview that he last visited Epstein at his New York City home in 2010 to end communication, though resurfaced emails seemingly went against his timeline and paved the way for Andrew’s downfall in 2025. Andrew denied any wrongdoing)
“The thing is, the girls and I are known as the tripod,” Ferguson told the magazine. “But it’s very upsetting to witness the cruelty given to another, and I strongly feel that the most important thing is to keep Beatrice and Eugenie and the tripod, and the best way we can succeed is by [having] success. And my goodness, the girls are incredible at what they do.”
Where Will Sarah Ferguson Go Now?
At this time, it’s uncertain exactly where Ferguson will end up.
Before Buckingham Palace’s decision to strip Andrew of his royal titles, The Sun reported that he was in talks with King Charles about a deal to leave Royal Lodge.
Andrew reportedly agreed to vacate Royal Lodge on the condition that he could move to Frogmore Cottage, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle briefly lived before stepping down from royal duties.
The deal would allegedly have permitted Ferguson to relocate to Adelaide Cottage. Prince William and Kate Middleton lived full-time on that property until they recently started the process of relocating to an eight-bedroom mansion known as Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
However, BBC News ultimately reported that Andrew will instead relocate to a private Sandringham estate in Norfolk that will be privately funded by the King. There is no word yet on if Ferguson could still relocate to Adelaide Cottage.
Who Owns Royal Lodge?
The property is owned by the Crown Estate, which manages the royal family’s properties, but has been leased to Prince Andrew since 2003. Andrew allegedly paid £1 million up front for a 75-year lease, plus he agreed to fund £7.5 million for renovations and £2.5 million for a rent buyout.
This agreement, called a “peppercorn lease,” has allowed Andrew to live at Royal Lodge for the last 22 years without paying significant annual rent.
The Times reported that even if Andrew could be convinced to give up his lease of Royal Lodge, he’d be owed a £558,000 upfront payment, plus a “compensatory sum” of £185,865 each year through 2028.
What is Sarah Ferguson’s Link to Jeffrey Epstein?
The former Duke and Duchess of York’s links to Epstein have led to controversy for the royal family since 2010, when Andrew was photographed visiting Epstein at his New York mansion after the financier served a prison sentence for procuring a minor for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute.
The scandal broke out again in late 2025 due to the publication of two books — a biography of Andrew by author Andrew Lownie and a memoir by the late Virginia Giuffre, the latter of whom died by suicide at age 41 in April.
Giuffre sued Andrew for sexual assault and battery in 2021 over allegedly being assaulted by him three times as a teenager. Andrew and Andrew reached a private settlement in 2022. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
Giuffre‘s book Nobody’s Girl included several shocking allegations against Andrew, including sharing her version of the story behind a notorious picture of the pair taken in March 2001. She also alleged that she slept with Andrew on the first night they met when she was 17 years old.
“In the years since, I’ve thought a lot about how he behaved,” she wrote. “He was friendly enough, but still entitled — as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson initially tried to distance herself from Epstein after the disclosure of her ex-husband’s friendship with the convicted sex offender. In a 2011 interview, Ferguson called her relationship with Epstein a “gigantic error of judgment.”
Her link to the Epstein scandal resurfaced in 2025 due to an alleged leaked email she sent Epstein after her 2011 interview. In the message, Ferguson allegedly referred to Epstein as “a supreme friend” to her family.
“I know you feel hellaciously let down by me, and I must humbly apologize to you and your heart for that,” Ferguson allegedly wrote to Epstein. “I am apologizing to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you. I was bedridden with fear. I was paralyzed.”
Ferguson was dropped as a patron of numerous charities due to the controversy, including Julia’s House, the Teenage Cancer Trust, the British Heart Foundation, the Children’s Literacy Charity and Prevent Breast Cancer.
Her spokesperson responded to the public outcry by insisting Ferguson emailed Epstein to discourage him from suing her for defamation.
“The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims. Like many people, she was taken in by his lies,” her representative insisted in October 2025. “As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with pedophilia.”
The statement went on, “She does not resile from anything she said then. This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.”
When Andrew announced in October 2025 that he would stop using his royal titles, Ferguson agreed to comply in a show of solidarity. She subsequently changed her social media profiles to remove “Duchess of York” from her handles.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Just For You
