Locals living near the Sandringham estate have said Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is “not welcome” as he prepares to move in.
Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles on Thursday, has faced intense public criticism in recent weeks over a series of scandals — most damagingly, his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual abuse made by Virginia Giuffre.
The controversy has led to the latest move by the Royal Family, who have evicted him from his home, Royal Lodge, on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where he has lived for the last 20 years.
It is understood Andrew will not move from his Windsor mansion to Sandringham until after Christmas because of the lengthy process of giving up his home.
The former Duke of York has already surrendered the lease on Royal Lodge in Windsor, but the relocation process will be “protracted”, sources said.
The delay will ensure that the Royal family avoids a potentially awkward encounter during their traditional Christmas get-together at Sandringham.
Local residents have shared their disappointment at the arrangement, saying “we don’t want him up here”, as he prepares to move.
Susan Larkins, 70, a retired office worker from nearby South Wootton, said it was “way past time” that Andrew’s titles were removed, adding: “He’s a horrible man. We don’t want him up here,” she told The Times.
Jackie Cruickshank, 72, a retired carer from King’s Lynn, expressed concern that Andrew could be “hounded” by photographers.
A Palace source said on Thursday that Andrew’s former wife, Sarah Ferguson, would be permitted to continue living with him at a property on the Sandringham estate, although it was thought she was unlikely to do so.
Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein was thrust back into the spotlight earlier this month Andrew's links to Epstein have hit the headlines again in recent weeks, with the publication of his main accuser Ms Giuffre's posthumous memoirs, and the US government's release of documents from the paedophile's estate.
In her book, Ms Giuffre repeated allegations that, as a teenager, she had sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions.
Her family said in a statement that "today, she declares a victory" and that she "brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage."
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law said they would welcome a meeting with the King.
"I welcome that conversation with open arms, I would love the opportunity to tell my sister's story to the palace," Sky Roberts told Sky News.
"If the King is saying he stands with survivors out there and if the King is saying he stands with survivors and their victims, then meet with us, have a conversation with us.
"We're real people with real stories that can affect real change and I think my sister did something unprecedented that says advocacy can affect change, advocacy can lead to justice."
Questions have been asked about the £550,000 refund Andrew is entitled to for ending his lease early.
It is believed any disrepair at the grade II listed property, requiring remedial works, will affect any compensation he is due.
The Crown Estate is expected to take the condition of Royal Lodge into consideration as it reviews Andrew’s lease surrender, according to The Times.
Legal complications over the 2003 lease on the mansion are said to have delayed the King’s plans, but in the end, all parties had to negotiate before Andrew could formally give up the lease.
The tenancy agreement states that Andrew paid £1million for the lease along with at least £7.5million in refurbishments in 2005. He has paid only “one peppercorn (if demanded) in rent per year since 2003.
The lease states that if Andrew relinquishes the lease early, he would be entitled to a “compensatory sum” of £185,865 a year until he reaches year 25 of the agreement.
However, the document also states Andrew must pay for the upkeep of the property and it is unclear if the contracted works have been carried out.
