Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is at the centre of the biggest controversy to hit the modern royal family; his links to Epstein are under the spotlight, and he's under investigation for suspicion of misconduct in public office. Due to all of this, his hand was forced to relinquish his royal lease at Royal Lodge, and he moved to a property on King Charles' privately owned Sandringham estate in February 2026. The local area could be in for a shake-up, though…
The Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk is currently seeking local opinion on whether they should start a new Parish or town council in light of the government looking to amalgamate local councils together. A page on the website reads: "To help borough councillors decide next steps, the borough council first wants to hear if residents want King’s Lynn to be parished and a new Parish/Town council set up to serve the area of King’s Lynn that’s currently unparished."
This public consultation period runs until Friday 27 March, and residents can add their comments online.
Reaction to Andrew’s new home
The reaction to Andrew's arrival in Sandringham has been mixed, said the owner of the neighbouring pub, The Black Horse Inn, when we spoke to him exclusively.
He admitted: "It's a 50/50 split, some are disgusted with his potential behaviour, but others say he hasn't been convicted and he's innocent until proven guilty. I sit somewhere in the middle.”
Due to the pub being located right next to the estate, royals often frequent the premises. "We get some royals coming in, because we're so close to Sandringham, with the big church next door. Prince Edward comes in, but I can't see Andrew coming in, given the current climate, but his money is the same colour," he said.
"Some are disgusted with his potential behaviour, but others say he hasn't been convicted and he's innocent until proven guilty"
Andrew’s renovations at new home
At present, the former Duke of York is residing at Wood Farm, while renovations are carried out at Marsh Farm. The latter stood empty for many years, so it required serious attention to make it suitable for Andrew. The property has been a hive of activity over the past few weeks with tradespeople adding security cameras, fences and even Sky TV.
Pest control vans have also been spotted coming and going, suggesting that the property could have had an infestation of some sort. Things like rats aren't uncommon in older, rural properties, and even royal residences can fall victim to the vermin. In 2001 and then again in 2019, the staff at Buckingham Palace were alerted to an invasion of rats.







