EXCLUSIVE: Why Andrew Windsor and Sarah Ferguson are Being 'Pushed to Move Abroad' and 'Get Out of Everyone's Sight'
Andrew Windsor and Sarah Ferguson may find themselves living far away from the U.K.
Jan. 29 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Andrew Windsor is facing growing pressure from within royal circles to leave the UK altogether, with sources saying telling RadarOnline.com he and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, are being urged to move abroad and retreat fully from public view.
The disgraced ex-Duke of York, 65, is due to vacate Royal Lodge in Windsor within weeks, ending a living arrangement that has seen Andrew and Ferguson share the 30-room property since 2008, long after their divorce.
Former Prince Andrew is preparing to leave Royal Lodge before his 66th birthday on February 19.
Their move is expected to take place before Andrew's 66th birthday on February 19, with advisers said to be keen for the couple to make a clean break and reduce ongoing scrutiny linked to Andrew's past controversies.
Andrew, the late Queen Elizabeth II's second and "favorite" son, stepped back from public duties in 2019 following his association with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Since then, he has largely disappeared from official royal life, while Ferguson has continued to maintain a public profile through writing and media appearances.
Despite that, the pair have remained living together, a situation some believe has become increasingly untenable.
One palace insider told us: "With Andrew preparing to leave Royal Lodge, there's a growing expectation inside the palace that this shouldn't just be a change of address within Britain. The view being expressed is that a move overseas, for both Andrew and Sarah, could offer a real reset.
"By putting physical distance between themselves and the U.K., it would give Beatrice and Eugenie the space to live their lives in a healthier, more positive environment, without their parents' issues constantly hanging over them. From a public perspective, it would also help make it unmistakably clear that the sisters are completely separate from Andrew and Sarah's situation."
Moving Abroad to 'Rebuild' Life?
Palace insiders have urged Andrew and Ferguson to move overseas for a 'real reset.'
Sources said Andrew's immediate plan is to relocate to Sandringham, with a final base likely to be Marsh Farm, a ramshackle, pest-infested five-bedroom property on the estate that would offer greater privacy – and which is undergoing a major clean-up before he moves in.
Insiders claimed that behind the scenes, senior figures believe even that may not be far enough.
One source said: "Among those advising them, there's a strong sense that Andrew and Sarah simply haven't faded far enough into the background while remaining in Britain. The guidance now is far more blunt – to remove themselves from view entirely and rebuild their lives somewhere much quieter.
"The idea is to escape the relentless media attention and step away from a setting that constantly dredges up past controversies, allowing them to live with far less scrutiny and pressure."
Friends added the idea of the shamed ex-royals both moving abroad has been raised repeatedly since the Epstein scandal erupted, with the couple initially resisting but now beginning to accept it may be inevitable.
Another insider said: "In the immediate aftermath of everything that unfolded, Andrew and Sarah went into a kind of survival mode. The strategy was to keep their heads down, shift quietly between different residences and assume that, with time, the intensity of the situation would ease. In reality, that calm never arrived, and the scrutiny lingered far longer than anyone had expected, leaving them stuck in a holding pattern rather than able to truly move on."
Protecting Daughters Beatrice and Eugenie
Senior figures have argued that physical distance will help daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie.
According to sources, Andrew and Ferguson quietly explored overseas options as early as 2020, including parts of Europe and the Middle East, but the plans stalled amid uncertainty and financial constraints.
One insider said, "For years, there were conversations about spending significant time overseas, or even basing themselves abroad, but those ideas were always postponed for one reason or another. There was always something that made it feel impractical or premature.
"Now, however, the tone has shifted. The encouragement is much firmer, and the message being delivered is no longer tentative – it's a clear push to finally act on those plans rather than keep them theoretical."
The move is also said to be linked to concerns about their daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35.
Reports of tension between Andrew and Eugenie have added to the sense a full reset may be needed.
A source said, "Those close to the family genuinely believe that Beatrice and Eugenie would be better served by having unmistakable space from their parents' situation. Creating that kind of separation is difficult when Andrew and Sarah remain so visibly based in Britain.
"The thinking is that real distance, both physical and symbolic, would make it far easier for the sisters to establish their own identities without constantly being linked back to their parents."
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The former couple explored potential new homes in Europe and the Middle East in 2020.
Ferguson is said to be more open to the idea of living overseas, particularly after recent health challenges and a desire for a quieter life.
One insider said, "Sarah has always shown an ability to adjust and reinvent herself when circumstances change. Rather than seeing a move as a loss, she's said to view it as an opportunity to remove herself from the relentless scrutiny and criticism. For her, the idea of going abroad represents a chance to draw a line under a difficult period and begin a calmer, more private chapter of her life."
For Andrew, the prospect is said to be more difficult.
A source noted: "The U.K. still carries a powerful sense of belonging and identity for him, and the idea of leaving it behind is emotionally complicated. At the same time, there's a growing recognition that remaining where he is only serves as a constant reminder of past events. Staying put, in many ways, keeps reopening wounds that have never fully healed, making it harder for him to move forward."
