Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson are allegedly planning “secret auctions” of royal jewels and memorabilia at their Royal Lodge, as they “scramble for cash” after their eviction.
An insider told RadarOnline that the former royal has been “sneakily” stockpiling items in the property that he thinks could be legally sold.
”Andrew is acting out of sheer self-preservation,” they claimed.
“He’s surveying everything of value, from jewellery to private papers, and viewing it as a financial lifeline should the palace cut him off for good.”
Another source told the outlet that the collection of items “goes well beyond jewellery”.
“It includes private letters, intimate photographs, personal recordings and royal keepsakes, material that could command enormous sums if sold discreetly,” they said.
“Any sentiment there was for these objects has fallen away; the focus for Andrew now is purely financial.”
A source close to the former Duchess of York also claimed that she held onto “everything”, including wedding mementos, personal correspondence, including “letters from Diana that she considers priceless”.
The pair were famously close friends.
The possibility that things linked to Diana could be sold has reportedly concerned the palace, one source said, with a royal source saying that any potential items connected to Queen Elizabeth II “would be deeply damaging” to put up for sale.
What is happening to the Royal Lodge?
The Daily Mail has also reported, after filing a freedom of information request in December, that the Royal Lodge was never inspected by royal officials during the 22 years the former Prince lived there.
On October 30, Charles gave his disgraced brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor notice to vacate the property in early 2026 – long before his lease was up – due to the scandal surrounding his links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
It means that his ex-wife, Sarah, who has been living there with him, also needs to find alternate accommodation. The former couple also no longer have their royal titles.
During the time the former Duke of York lived there, he paid £8 million to repair the property, with a “costly upfront refurbishment and upkeep schedule” included in his lease.
The agreement, which was signed in 2003, also meant that he paid no rent. The Times reported that he paid £1 million ($2 million AUD) for the lease, which didn’t run out until 2078.
Not only that, but he was expected to have the interior’s walls painted every seven years and ensure the gardens and grounds were maintained.
Andrew’s lodge is managed by the Crown Estate, with officials having the right to enter and maintain the property, as outlined in the release.
“There is little doubt that the extraordinary absence of inspections of Royal Lodge, which under the terms of the lease could be periodically carried out, will be seen as yet another example of the sweetheart deal between the Crown Estate and Andrew,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the outlet.
“This revelation is all the more surprising when you consider the fact that Andrew has been involved in so many high-profile disasters in recent years, and still no one thought to inspect the condition of the property until recently.”
An inspection, which found that the lodge was in a “dilapidated state”, was only carried out after Andrew announced his plans to relocate at the end of last year.
The investigation into his lease
PA Media reported on December 2 that a Commons committee is set to launch an inquiry into the Crown Estate, with King Charles expected to be involved.
That same day, letters from the Crown Estate and the Treasury responding to enquiries about the royal arrangements were published by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The PAC is a body that regulates the Crown Estate due to it being an independent commercial business, with the assets owned by the monarch.
“In publishing these responses, the Public Accounts Committee fulfils one of its primary purposes – to aid transparency in public-interest information, as part of its overall mission to secure value for money for the taxpayer,” Committee chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said.
He added that the information provided forms the “beginnings of a basis for an inquiry”, with the National Audit Office to form their conclusions ahead of a meeting in the new year.
The PAC also revealed that Andrew could have been entitled to £488,000 for surrendering his lease early, but a report from the Crown Estate for MPs said it was likely he would not receive it, due to the urgent repairs needed on the property.
The battle of Andrew relocating
According to the Daily Mail, it would be a “waste of time” to try to evict Andrew from the 96-acre property before it was confirmed that he would be vacating.
“Any attempt to get Andrew out would be a waste of time as he bought the house on a 75-year lease agreement and therefore is legally entitled to live in the property until 2078,” property lawyer Mike Hansom, a partner at BLB Solicitors, told the publication.
“He would either have to agree to leave by mutual consent or can only be forced to leave if he has failed to adhere to the tenants’ covenants in the lease, which is unlikely.”
Renewed calls for Andrew to vacate the property came after he was accused of a campaign to smear Jeffrey Epstein accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who died in April 2025, and has released a posthumous memoir.
Meanwhile, Sarah also came under added criticism and was axed by seven charities over emails she allegedly sent to Epstein apologising for publicly cutting ties with him.
Amid the uproar, Andrew decided to give back his royal titles, while continuing to deny the allegations made against him.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” he said in a statement in October.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.
“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
In August 2021, Virginia sued Andrew, claiming that he had assaulted her when she was a teenager. Andrew has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing and settled the matter out of court in 2022.
The settlement included a statement in which Andrew expressed regret for his association with Epstein, but accepted no liability.
Multiple sources report that Andrew will move into a property on the Sandringham Estate – a privately owned estate belonging to King Charles.
He is reportedly expected to be relocated by Easter.
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