Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested at home on suspicion of misconduct in a public office on 19 February, shining a spotlight on the Sandringham estate. But before he moved to his Norfolk bolthole earlier this month, the younger brother of King Charles lived at Royal Lodge in Windsor – but this was not his first adult home.
Upon his marriage to Sarah Ferguson in 1986, the former Duke of York and his now ex-wife were gifted a property by his mother, Queen Elizabeth. Sunninghill Park in Ascot was built from scratch for the late monarch’s son, meaning the newlyweds weren’t able to move in until 1990.
Once they were in, it provided a solid base for Andrew and Sarah, who divorced in 1996, until Sarah relocated to a rented home in Surrey in 2002 and Andrew upped his sticks to Royal Lodge in 2004.
Andrew’s panic room at Ascot home
The marital home came with a host of mod-cons, but the most unusual feature, revealed previously by royal author Andrew Lownie, is undeniably the panic button. At the time of Andrew’s residency, he was a working member of the Royal Family, meaning he was entitled to a Metropolitan Police close protection officer at the expense of the British taxpayer.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesHowever, it seems Andrew was keen to ensure all bases where his security was concerned, installing a panic button which, once pressed in the event of an emergency, signals for immediate help.
© Getty ImagesThe property, which Andrew sold for £15 million in 2007, is similar to the Cotswolds home of King Charles in that Highgrove is said to feature a steel-lined panic room equipped with medical supplies, radio transmitters, and long-lasting food and drinks.
Andrew’s security measures at his new home
Andrew’s security hasn’t been state-funded since 2019, when he stepped down from his duties as a working royal following his disastrous Newsnight interview. After this, the King paid for his brother’s security, but in 2024, it was reported that Charles had cut Andrew off financially, forcing him to fund his own security.
Andrew’s current tenure at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate is only temporary, with the former prince set for his move to Marsh Farm, once renovations are completed. On 25 February, new photos revealed that security measures were being installed at the royal’s soon-to-be pad, including a new six-foot fence behind the existing wooden picket fence with gates installed at the front of the property to obscure the view from the road.
© Getty ImagesIn addition, a new notice was affixed to one of the posts of the old fence, which reads: “This is a private property and no comment will be made to journalists. Photographers are also not permitted onto these private grounds of the Sandringham estate. Please respect this decision. Failure to comply will be reported to IPSO.”
The fence adds extra privacy on top of the existing CCTV cameras and the no-fly zone, which Charles recently extended to include Marsh Farm.
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