Sandringham Pub Owner Says Locals are "50/50 "About Andrew

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor wearing a suit and tie; a sign for the village of Wolferton with arrows pointing to Sandringham — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Now that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been evicted from Royal Lodge, he's become the newest resident on The King's Sandringham estate. Locals expressed their feelings about the move when it announced last year, but now that the former Duke of York is officially living at Wood Farm as he awaits renovations on his future home, Marsh Farm, it seems opinions in the Sandringham village of Wolferton are mixed.

"It's a 50/50 split, some are disgusted with his potential behavior, but others say he hasn't been convicted and he's innocent until proven guilty," the owner of the nearby Black Horse Inn told Hello!. He added, "I sit somewhere in the middle. I think it would be better for him to be brought in [by the police] if he is innocent, as he says."

While Andrew might not be attending church socials anytime soon, the local pub owner said that he wouldn't turn the disgraced royal away.

"We get some royals coming in, because we're so close to Sandringham, with the big church next door," the resident said. "Prince Edward comes in, but I can't see Andrew coming in, given the current climate, but his money is the same color."

The exterior of Marsh Farm and a wooden fence — Marsh Farm is pictured on February 4.

The private road leading to Wood Farm, viewed from a cemetery — The private entrance to Wood Farm leads past a Sandringham church.

Last fall, several locals spoke to the Telegraph about Andrew moving to the Sandringham estate, including one neighbor who said: "I think if he had any real sense of propriety he would maybe just keep himself to himself. If he had any level of respect for the public. But then, I don’t think he has any humility."

Another local added she was "not best pleased" to hear about Andrew moving to the estate. "We don’t want him here. What would we want him here for?" she said, adding, "as long as he keeps himself to himself that’s okay, and doesn’t bring any trouble here. Norfolk doesn’t need it."

The former Duke of York moved into Wood Farm earlier this month after the King announced in October 2025 that his brother would be evicted from Royal Lodge and stripped of all his titles.

The former Duke of York moved into Wood Farm earlier this month after The King announced in October that his brother would be evicted from Royal Lodge and stripped of all his titles. Andrew's stay at Wood Farm is understood to be a temporary situation while the repairs on Marsh Farm are carried out, and he's expected to move into the newly renovated property this spring.

TOPICS

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.