Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrives for the Requiem Mass service for Katharine, Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral

Royal family

Why Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Left Royal Lodge in Such a Hurry Under the Cover of Night

Here's the reason why Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor rushed out of Royal Lodge on Feb.3 when darkness fell.

by Michelle Kapusta

Published on February 4, 2026

2 min read

It finally happened. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is out of Royal Lodge for good.

The former prince, who several months back refused to leave the property, moved out sometime under the cover of darkness on Feb. 3. The public knew the move was coming after King Charles stripped his brother of his titles and ordered him to vacate the 30-room mansion.

Back in October, Buckingham Palace released a statement that read: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor … His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation.

“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him. Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”

Prince Andrew to be stripped of all remaining titles and evicted from royal residence, Buckingham Palace announces.

He previously announced he would give up his titles earlier this month on October 17th. pic.twitter.com/gOuEsQHDBH
— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 30, 2025

However, no one knew when the move was going to actually take place as Andrew continued to reside there and was even seen horseback riding recently on the grounds of the 99-acre estate. Then, a new batch of Jeffrey Epstein files were released on Jan. 30.

Andrew, as well as his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson’s names were in those documents showing that they emailed the convicted sex offender on several occasions, and Andrew even exchanged family photos with Epstein.

With the public’s stomach-turning, the king needed to act immediately and get Andrew out of Windsor and to a home more than 100 miles away. According to multiple reports, the monarch did just that and told Andrew to get out earlier than expected, which the disgraced royal did once night fell to avoid being seen.

The Sun reported that the move was so rushed that Andrew will have to go back and retrieve several things that are still there because there wasn’t time to fully prepare for the sudden departure from his home of nearly 20 years.

A friend of the former duke told the publication, “[Andrew] had planned to cling on at Royal Lodge a little longer but with the latest batch of Epstein files it was made clear to him that it was time to go. Leaving was so humiliating for him that he chose to do it under the cover of darkness. He didn’t want to have a big emotional goodbye even though Royal Lodge is a place where he had so many family memories.”

The royal family has generally sought to distance itself from the ongoing scandal surrounding Prince Andrew. However, his younger brother, Prince Edward, was asked during a speaking engagement in Dubai about his sibling’s name appearing in the new Epstein docs.

“I think it’s all really important always to remember the victims and who are the victims in all this,” Prince Edward answered.

Andrew has continued to deny any wrongdoing.