By Tuesday 3 February 2026, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had left Royal Lodge and relocated to temporary accommodation on the Sandringham Estate, according to palace briefings reported by Sky News. A further move within Norfolk is expected once a permanent home is ready. (news.sky.com)

This follows Buckingham Palace’s 30 October 2025 statement initiating the formal removal of his style, titles and honours, and confirming that formal notice had been served to surrender the Royal Lodge lease. The Palace said he would move to alternative private accommodation. (royal.uk)

The lease mechanics sit at the centre of the story. In 2003, the Crown Estate granted a 75‑year lease on Royal Lodge. Contemporary documents cited by the Guardian record a £1m premium and a requirement to fund about £7.5m of refurbishments, with rent thereafter set at a nominal ‘peppercorn (if demanded)’. The estate’s market rent was estimated around £260,000 a year at the time. (theguardian.com)

NAO material published on its site and summarised in public sources shows the agreement also referenced a notional annual rent of £260,000 and an option to buy out future rent; Andrew’s refurbishment commitment was treated as effectively pre‑paying that rent. That helps explain why little or no annual rent flowed after 2003. (nao.org.uk)

Where the numbers bite now is compensation. The Crown Estate told MPs that if no end‑of‑tenancy repairs were needed, Andrew could have received £488,342.21 for early surrender in 2026. After an initial inspection, the Estate said that, in all likelihood, he will not be owed any compensation once dilapidations are accounted for. (independent.co.uk)

The Public Accounts Committee has published the correspondence - including an unredacted lease - and announced a new inquiry into the Crown Estate, with the National Audit Office updating its 2005 report on royal residential leases. For taxpayers, this is the key process to watch. (committees.parliament.uk)

A practical note for readers: long leases that swap ongoing rent for upfront capital works can look attractive but carry repair obligations at exit. ‘Dilapidations’ - the assessed cost to return a building to its contractual condition - are typically netted off any payment due. That appears to be what will determine the final figure here, not headline sums cited out of context. (theguardian.com)

Funding for the move itself does not come from the public purse. Sandringham is privately owned by the King, and reporting from ABC notes he will cover his brother’s new accommodation costs on the estate. Plans point to a temporary house now, with a later shift into a renovated home - widely reported as Marsh Farm - once ready. (abc.net.au)

Scrutiny of Andrew’s conduct continues in parallel. Thames Valley Police confirmed they are assessing a new claim that a woman was sent by Jeffrey Epstein to Royal Lodge in 2010; no criminal investigation has been opened at this stage. Andrew denies any wrongdoing. (news.sky.com)

For investors and students of public finance, the takeaway is straightforward: Crown Estate profits are returned to HM Treasury, and value‑for‑money tests matter. The PAC/NAO work will clarify whether this lease delivered fair value and how future royal residential agreements should be structured. Expect hearings and further documents through spring 2026. (nao.org.uk)